Methods and compositions for preventing a condition

ABSTRACT

Provided herein are methods, compositions, and kits for preventing, inhibiting, reducing the severity of, or treating a disease or condition. A pharmaceutical composition provided herein can comprise a nucleic acid sequence encoding an antigen fused to an immune cell product, e.g., MIP-3α, and an adjuvant. The antigen can be from a bacteria, virus, fungus, parasite, or cancer. The antigen can be an Alzheimer&#39;s disease antigen.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/024,216, filed on Sep. 11, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 13/206,471, filed on Aug. 9, 2011, which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Applications Nos. 61/371,923, filed Aug. 9,2010, and 61/466,175, filed Mar. 22, 2011, all of which are incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties.

STATEMENT AS TO FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

This invention was made with the support of the United States governmentunder Grant number R21A1073619 by National Institutes of Health. Thegovernment has certain rights in the invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vaccines play a role in the prevention and treatment of diseases,including cancer and infections. For some conditions, e.g., malaria, feweffective vaccines are available. Vaccine studies using irradiatedsporozoites have demonstrated the theoretical feasibility of aneffective vaccine to protect against the pre-erythrocytic stages ofmalaria infection. Subsequent studies have shown that the protectionobserved in murine model systems of malaria can involve both humoral andcell-mediated immunity, but can depend on the activity of T lymphocytes,presumably due to the need to destroy infected cells within the liver.Although interest persists in the use of irradiated sporozoites as amalaria vaccine, the feasibility of this approach remains to beestablished.

DNA vaccines can be used to treat a variety of conditions. DNA vaccinescan target dendritic cells (DC). DCs play a role in regulating immuneresponses, including determining whether immunity or tolerance isgenerated and whether, if immunity is generated, Th1 or Th2 T cells orboth are recruited to the response. The different outcomes ofpresentation of antigens by DC can be influenced by the progenitor cellsthat gave rise to a particular class of DC, by tissue localization ofthe DC involved in a given response, by differences in the activatingstimulus, which can be reflected by what cytokines a DC produces and, ofparticular relevance for this proposal, by the state of maturation ofthe DC, as indicated by surface protein expression profile.

There is a need for the development of, and improvement of, vaccines,e.g., DNA vaccines, to treat conditions such as malaria, cancer, andAlzheimer's disease.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, in one aspect, a pharmaceutical composition is providedcomprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding an antigen or a fragmentthereof fused to macrophage inflammatory protein 3 alpha or a fragmentthereof and an adjuvant. In one embodiment, the antigen or a fragmentthereof is a cancer antigen. In another embodiment, the antigen or afragment thereof is an Alzheimer's disease antigen. In anotherembodiment, the antigen or a fragment thereof is from a virus,bacterium, fungi, or parasite. In another embodiment, the antigen or afragment thereof is from a parasite. In another embodiment, the parasiteis Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodiummalaria, or Plasmodium yoelii. In another embodiment, the antigen or afragment thereof is a circumsporozoite protein or fragment thereof. Inanother embodiment, the circumsporozoite protein or fragment thereof isfrom Plasmodium falciparum. In another embodiment, the adjuvant is aliposome. In another embodiment, the liposome comprises a commixture of(±)-N-(3-aminopropyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2,3-bis(cis-9-tetradecenyloxy)-1-propanaminiumbromide (GAP-DMORIE) and1,2-diphytanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DPyPE). In anotherembodiment, the pharmaceutical composition further comprises aregulatory T-cell inhibitor. In another embodiment, the regulatoryT-cell inhibitor is an siRNA. In one embodiment, the nucleic acidsequence comprises nucleic acid sequence from FIG. 20, or a portionthereof. In another embodiment, the nucleic acid sequence comprises thenucleic acid sequence from FIG. 21, or a portion thereof. In anotherembodiment, the nucleic acid sequence comprises nucleic acid sequence,from FIG. 18, or a portion thereof. In another embodiment, the nucleicacid sequence comprises nucleic acid sequence from Example 14, or aportion thereof. In another embodiment, the nucleic acid sequencecomprises nucleic acid sequence in Example 15, or a portion thereof. Inanother embodiment, the nucleic acid sequence comprises nucleic acidsequence from Example 16, or a portion thereof. In another embodiment,the nucleic acid sequence comprises nucleic acid sequence from Example17, or a portion thereof. In another embodiment, the nucleic acidsequence comprises nucleic acid sequence from Example 18, or a portionthereof. In another embodiment, the nucleic acid sequence comprisesnucleic acid sequence from Example 19, or a portion thereof. In anotherembodiment, the nucleic acid sequence comprises a nucleic acid sequencefrom Table 2, or a portion thereof.

In another embodiment, the nucleic acid sequence is a plasmid. Inanother embodiment, the nucleic acid sequence encodes human macrophageinflammatory protein 3 alpha or a fragment thereof.

In another aspect, a nucleic acid sequence is provided encoding aparasite antigen fused to macrophage inflammatory protein 3 alpha. Inone embodiment, the parasite is Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax,Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malaria, or Plasmodium yoelii. In anotherembodiment, the antigen is a circumsporozoite protein or fragmentthereof. In another embodiment, the circumsporozoite protein or fragmentthereof is from Plasmodium falciparum. In another embodiment, thenucleic acid sequence encodes human macrophage inflammatory protein 3alpha or a fragment thereof.

In another aspect, a nucleic acid sequence is provided encoding amalaria antigen fused to an immune cell product. In one embodiment, theimmune cell product enhances the immunological reactivity of theantigen. In another embodiment, the immune cell product targets immaturedendritic cells. In another embodiment, the immune cell product is achemokine. In another embodiment, the chemokine is macrophageinflammatory protein 3 alpha or a fragment or derivative of macrophageinflammatory protein 3 alpha. In another embodiment, the malaria antigenis from Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale,Plasmodium malaria, or Plasmodium yoelii. In another embodiment, themalaria antigen is a circumsporozoite protein or fragment thereof. Inanother embodiment, the malaria antigen is a circumsporozoite protein orfragment thereof and the immune cell product is macrophage inflammatoryprotein 3 alpha protein or a fragment thereof. In another embodiment,the circumsporozoite protein or fragment thereof from Plasmodiumfalciparum and the immune cell product is macrophage inflammatoryprotein 3 alpha protein or a fragment thereof. In another embodiment,the nucleic acid sequence encodes a human immune cell product or afragment thereof.

In another aspect, a pharmaceutical composition is provided comprising anucleic acid sequence encoding a parasite antigen fused to an immunecell product and an adjuvant. In another embodiment, the immune cellproduct enhances the immunological reactivity of the antigen. In anotherembodiment, the adjuvant is a liposome. In another embodiment, theliposome comprises a commixture of GAP-DMORIE and DPyPE. In anotherembodiment, the immune cell product is macrophage inflammatory protein 3alpha. In another embodiment, the parasite antigen is from Plasmodiumfalciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malaria, orPlasmodium yoelii. In another embodiment, the parasite antigen iscircumsporozoite protein or fragment thereof. In another embodiment, thepharmaceutical composition further comprises a regulatory T-cellinhibitor. In another embodiment, the regulatory T-cell inhibitor is ansiRNA. In another embodiment, the nucleic acid sequence encodes a humanimmune cell product or a fragment thereof.

In another aspect, a method for eliciting an immune response in asubject is provided comprising administering to the subject apharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding aparasite antigen or fragment thereof fused to an immune cell product. Inone embodiment, the pharmaceutical composition further comprises anadjuvant. In another embodiment, the adjuvant comprises a commixture ofGAP-DMORIE and DPyPE. In another embodiment, the immune cell product ismacrophage inflammatory protein 3 alpha. In another embodiment, theparasite antigen is from Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax,Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malaria, or Plasmodium yoelii. In anotherembodiment, the parasite antigen is a circumsporozoite protein orfragment thereof. In another embodiment, the method further comprisesadministering a regulatory T-cell inhibitor to the subject. In anotherembodiment, the regulatory T-cell inhibitor is an siRNA. In anotherembodiment, the pharmaceutical composition comprises the regulatoryT-cell inhibitor. In another embodiment, the immune response prevents orreduces the likelihood of the subject developing malaria. In anotherembodiment, the subject is a human. In another embodiment, the subjectis a non-human mammal.

In one aspect, a kit comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding aparasite antigen fused to an immune cell product and an adjuvant. In oneembodiment, the immune cell product enhances the immunologicalreactivity of the antigen. In another embodiment, the immune cellproduct is macrophage inflammatory protein 3 alpha. In anotherembodiment, the parasite antigen is from Plasmodium falciparum,Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malaria, or Plasmodiumyoelii. In another embodiment, the parasite antigen is acircumsporozoite protein or fragment thereof. In another embodiment, thecircumsporozoite protein or fragment thereof is from Plasmodiumfalciparum. In another embodiment, the kit further comprises aregulatory T-cell inhibitor. In another embodiment, the regulatoryT-cell inhibitor is an siRNA.

In another aspect, a method for eliciting an immune response in asubject is provided comprising administering to the subject apharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding acancer antigen or fragment thereof fused to an immune cell product. Inone embodiment, the pharmaceutical composition further comprises anadjuvant. In another embodiment, the adjuvant comprises a commixture ofGAP-DMORIE and DPyPE. In another embodiment, the immune cell product isa chemokine. In another embodiment, the immune cell product ismacrophage inflammatory protein 3 alpha. In another embodiment, theantigen is from lung, brain, breast, prostate or colon cancer. Inanother embodiment, the antigen is HER2, BRCA1, prostate-specificmembrane antigen (PSMA), MART-1/MelanA, prostatic serum antigen (PSA),squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA), ovarian cancer antigen (OCA),pancreas cancer associated antigen (PaA), MUC-1, MUC-2, MUC-3, MUC-18,carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA), polymorphic epithelial mucin (PEM),Thomsen-Friedenreich (T) antigen, gp100, tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2,NY-ESO-1, CDK-4, b-catenin, MUM-1, Caspase-8, KIAA0205, HPVE7, SART-1,SART-2, PRAME, BAGE-1, DAGE-1, RAGE-1, NAG, TAG-72, CA125, mutatedp21ras, mutated p53, HPV16 E7, RCC-3.1.3, MAGE-1, MAGE-2, MAGE-3,MAGE-4, MAGE-11, GAGE-I, GAGE-6, GD2, GD3, GM2, TF, sTn, gp75, EBV-LMP1, EBV-LMP 2, HPV-F4, HPV-F6, HPV-F7, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), CO17-1A,GA733, gp72, p-HCG, gp43, HSP-70, p17 mel, HSP-70, gp43, HMW, HOJ-1,HOM-MEL-55, NY-COL-2, HOM-HD-397, HOM-RCC-1.14, HOM-HD-21, HOM-NSCLC-11,HOM-MEL-2.4, HOM-TES-11, melanoma gangliosides, TAG-72, prostatic acidphosphatase, protein MZ2-E, folate-binding-protein LK26, truncatedepidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), GM-2 and GD-2 gangliosides,polymorphic epithelial mucin, folate-binding protein LK26, pancreaticoncofetal antigen, cancer antigen 15-3, cancer antigen 19-9, cancerantigen 549, cancer antigen 195 or a fragment thereof. In anotherembodiment, the method further comprises administering a regulatoryT-cell inhibitor to the subject. In another embodiment, the regulatoryT-cell inhibitor is an siRNA. In another embodiment, the pharmaceuticalcomposition comprises the regulatory T-cell inhibitor. In anotherembodiment, the immune response prevents or reduces the likelihood ofthe subject developing cancer. In another embodiment, the immuneresponse inhibits a cancerous cell expressing the cancer antigen in saidsubject. In another embodiment, the immune response inhibits apre-cancerous cell expressing the cancer antigen in said subject. Inanother embodiment, the subject is a human. In another embodiment, thesubject is a non-human mammal.

In another aspect, a method for eliciting an immune response in asubject is provided comprising administering to the subject apharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acid sequence encodingan Alzheimer's disease antigen or fragment thereof fused to an immunecell product. In one embodiment, the pharmaceutical composition furthercomprises an adjuvant. In another embodiment, the adjuvant comprises acommixture of GAP-DMORIE and DPyPE. In another embodiment, the immunecell product is macrophage inflammatory protein 3 alpha. In anotherembodiment, the antigen is A68, Aβ40, Aβ42 protein or a fragmentthereof. In another embodiment, the method further comprisesadministering a regulatory T-cell inhibitor to the subject. In anotherembodiment, the regulatory T-cell inhibitor is an siRNA. In anotherembodiment, the pharmaceutical composition comprises the regulatoryT-cell inhibitor. In another embodiment, the immune response prevents orreduces the likelihood of the subject developing an Alzheimer's disease.In another embodiment, the immune response reduces one or more symptomsassociated with Alzheimer's disease in the subject. In anotherembodiment, the subject is a human. In another embodiment, the subjectis a non-human mammal.

In another aspect, a method for eliciting an immune response in asubject is provided comprising administering to the subject apharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acid sequence encodingan antigen or fragment thereof from a virus, bacterium, fungi, orparasite fused to an immune cell product. In one embodiment, thepharmaceutical composition further comprises an adjuvant. In anotherembodiment, the adjuvant comprises a commixture of GAP-DMORIE and DPyPE.In another embodiment, the immune cell product is macrophageinflammatory protein 3 alpha. In another embodiment, the parasiteantigen is a circumsporozoite protein or fragment thereof. In anotherembodiment, the method further comprises administering a regulatoryT-cell inhibitor to the subject. In another embodiment, the regulatoryT-cell inhibitor is an siRNA. In another embodiment, the pharmaceuticalcomposition comprises the regulatory T-cell inhibitor. In anotherembodiment, the immune response prevents or reduces the likelihood ofthe subject developing an infection from a virus, bacterium, fungi, orparasite. In another embodiment, the immune response treats an infectionfrom a virus, bacterium, fungi, or parasite in the subject. In anotherembodiment, the subject is a human. In another embodiment, the subjectis a non-human mammal.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in thisspecification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent asif each individual publication, patent, or patent application wasspecifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity inthe appended claims. A better understanding of the features andadvantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to thefollowing detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments,in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and theaccompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 illustrates constructs of a P. yoelli malaria DNA vaccinecandidate and controls for mouse studies. FIG. 1 discloses SEQ ID NO:52.

FIG. 2 illustrates ELISA for antibody response.

FIG. 3 illustrates protective efficacy against sporozoites challenge.

FIG. 4 illustrates results of a neutralization assay.

FIG. 5 illustrates the efficacy of the depletion estimated by two-colorflow cytometry analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes usingFITC-conjugated anti-CD4 or APC-conjugated anti-CD8 mAbs.

FIG. 6 illustrates protection mediated by immunization withVaxfectin-formulated CSP or MCSP after T cell depletion prior tochallenge.

FIG. 7 illustrates antibody response from mice immunized withVaxfectin-formulated with CSP and MCSP.

FIG. 8 illustrates antibody neutralization activity.

FIG. 9 illustrates real-time PCR evaluation of expression levels ofcytokines at site of immunization (24 h after immunization).

FIG. 10 illustrates real-time PCR evaluation of expression levels ofcytokine at site of immunization (48 hr after immunization).

FIG. 11 illustrates the ability of lysosomal and proteosomal inhibitorsto block MIP3alpha-gp100-induced IFN-gamma secretion.

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic representation of candidate P. yoelii vaccineused in preliminary studies.

FIG. 13 illustrates results from an experiment in which four BALB/cmice/group were immunized with 50 μg of the DNA vaccine constructdescribed in FIG. 15, with or without DNA encoding the MIP-3α fusionprotein included in the construct. Control mice receiving plasmid DNAencoding MIP-3α and an irrelevant immunogen had no detectable antibody(not shown), as was the case for all mice prior to the firstimmunization. p=0.05 for differences in antibody levels between theconstructs shown after the third immunization.

FIG. 14 illustrates Interferon gamma Elispots generated from the spleenof BALB/c mice two weeks after the last of 3 immunizations with 50 μg ofthe vaccine construct described in FIG. 15. Results represent the meanof Elispots obtained from four mice. p=0.03 for difference betweenconstructs with and without MIP-3alpha.

FIG. 15 illustrates a MIP-3α-CSP (P. yoelli) fusion DNA vaccine formouse studies. FIG. 15 discloses SEQ ID NO: 52.

FIG. 16 illustrates comparative antibody concentrations and frequency oftetramer binding and Elispot producing cells from the spleens of miceimmunized according to the described regimens. N8=MIP-3a DNA constructwithout CSP epitopes, N8CS=same construct with CSP epitopes,SPZ=irradiated sporozoites. N8=pM construct in FIG. 1. N8CS=MpMCSP inFIG. 1. Numbers at right side of flow diagrams indicate percentage ofcells binding tetramers (represented in inset rectangle).

FIG. 17 illustrates liver stage parasites recovered from C57Bl/6 miceimmunized with 2 μg of different DNA constructs and challenged with 5000sporozoites.

FIG. 18 illustrates a diagrammatic representation of sequences insertedinto plasmid VR1012. FIG. 18 discloses SEQ ID NO: 53.

FIG. 19 illustrates VR1012 cloning site map.

FIG. 20 illustrates sequence of synthesized Plasmodium falciparumvaccine construct.

FIG. 20 discloses the DNA sequence as SEQ ID NO: 31 and the peptidesequences as SEQ ID NOS 54-56, respectively, in order of appearance.

FIG. 21 illustrates hTPA-hMIP3a-pfCSP-myc DNA sequence. FIG. 21discloses SEQ ID NO: 31.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION I. Overview

Compositions

In general, in one aspect, a nucleic acid sequence is provided encodingan antigen fused to an immune cell product. In another aspect, apharmaceutical composition is provided comprising a nucleic acidsequence encoding an antigen fused to an immune cell product. In anotherembodiment, the pharmaceutical composition further comprises anadjuvant. In another embodiment, the adjuvant is a liposome. In anotherembodiment, the liposome comprises a cationic lipid and a neutralphospholipid. In another embodiment, the cationic lipid is GAP-DMORIE.In another embodiment, the neutral phospholipid is DPyPE. In anotherembodiment, the adjuvant is Vaxfectin.

In one embodiment a pharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acidexpressing an antigen (e.g., a malaria or cancer antigen) fused to animmune cell product (e.g., MIP-3α) and an adjuvant (e.g., a liposome,such as a liposome comprising GAP-DMORIE and DPyPE) produces asynergistic immunological response when administered to a subject inneed thereof. In one embodiment the synergistic immunological responseis directed to the antigen or a cell expressing the antigen. In anotherembodiment a subject is administered a pharmaceutical compositioncomprising a nucleic acid expressing an antigen (e.g., a malaria orcancer antigen) fused to an immune cell product (e.g., MIP-3α) and anadjuvant (e.g., a liposome, such as a liposome comprising GAP-DMORIE andDPyPE) produces a synergistic immunological response in the subject thatresults in a greater immunological response to the antigen. In oneembodiment the synergy prevents infection of the subject by a parasite,bacteria, virus or cancer comprising the antigen. In another embodiment,administration of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acidexpressing an antigen (e.g., a malaria or cancer antigen) fused to animmune cell product (e.g., MIP-3α) and an adjuvant (e.g., a liposome,such as a liposome comprising GAP-DMORIE and DPyPE) to a subjectproduces an immunological response that is greater than the addition ofimmunological responses observed from the administration to a subject ofthe adjuvant with nucleic acid sequence (e.g., DNA) encoding the antigenalone, or a fusion nucleic acid sequence (e.g., DNA) vaccine expressinga chemokine, but without the adjuvant.

In one embodiment, the immune cell product is a cytokine. In anotherembodiment, the cytokine is a chemokine. In another embodiment, thechemokine is a CC chemokine family member. In another embodiment, thechemokine is macrophage inflammatory protein 3 alpha (MIP-3α).

In another embodiment, the antigen is a cancer antigen, an Alzheimer'sdisease antigen, or an antigen from a bacterium, virus, fungus, or aparasite. In one embodiment, the antigen is from a species ofPlasmodium. In another embodiment, the antigen is a malaria antigen. Inanother embodiment, the antigen from a species of Plasmodium is amalaria antigen. In another embodiment, the antigen is circumsporozoiteprotein or fragment thereof. In another embodiment, the circumsporozoiteprotein or protein fragment is from Plasmodium falciparum.

The term “fragment” or “protein fragment” can be a polypeptide thatcontains, for example between about 1 and 2000, 1 and 1950, 1 and 1900,1 and 1850, 1 and 1800, 1 and 1750, 1 and 1700, 1 and 1650, 1 and 1600,1 and 1550, 1 and 1500, 1 and 1450, 1 and 1400, 1 and 1350, 1 and 1300,1 and 1250, 1 and 1200, 1 and 1150, 1 and 1100, 1 and 1050, 1 and 1000,1 and 950, 1 and 900, 1 and 850, 1 and 800, 1 and 750, 1 and 700, 1 and650, 1 and 600, 1 and 550, 1 and 500, 1 and 450, 1 and 400, 1 and 350, 1and 300, 1 and 250, 1 and 200, 1 and 150, 1 and 100, or 1 and 50contiguous amino acids, including all integers in between, of areference polypeptide sequence. A fragment can be a polypeptide thatcontains, for example: about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31,32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49,50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67,68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85,86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102,103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116,117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130,131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144,145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158,159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172,173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186,187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200,205, 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 235, 240, 245, 250, 255, 260, 265, 270,275, 280, 285, 290, 295, 300, 305, 310, 315, 320, 325, 330, 335, 340,345, 350, 355, 360, 365, 370, 375, 380, 385, 390, 395, 400, 405, 410,415, 420, 425, 430, 435, 440, 445, 450, 455, 460, 465, 470, 475, 480,485, 490, 495, 500, 505, 510, 515, 520, 525, 530, 535, 540, 545, 550,555, 560, 565, 570, 575, 580, 585, 590, 595, 600, 605, 610, 615, 620,625, 630, 635, 640, 645, 650, 655, 660, 665, 670, 675, 680, 685, 690,695, 700, 705, 710, 715, 720, 725, 730, 735, 740, 745, 750, 755, 760,765, 770, 775, 780, 785, 790, 795, 800, 805, 810, 815, 820, 825, 830,835, 840, 845, 850, 855, 860, 865, 870, 875, 880, 885, 890, 895, 900,905, 910, 915, 920, 925, 930, 935, 940, 945, 950, 955, 960, 965, 970,975, 980, 985, 990, 995, 1000, 1010, 1020, 1030, 1040, 1050, 1060, 1070,1080, 1090, 1100, 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1160, 1170, 1180, 1190,1200, 1210, 1220, 1230, 1240, 1250, 1260, 1270, 1280, 1290, 1300, 1310,1320, 1330, 1340, 1350, 1360, 1370, 1380, 1390, 1400, 1410, 1420, 1430,1440, 1450, 1460, 1470, 1480, 1490, 1500, 1510, 1520, 1530, 1540, 1550,1560, 1570, 1580, 1590, 1600, 1610, 1620, 1630, 1640, 1650, 1660, 1670,1680, 1690, 1700, 1710, 1720, 1730, 1740, 1750, 1760, 1770, 1780, 1790,1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1900, 1910,1920, 1930, 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, or more contiguousamino acids, including all integers in between, of a referencepolypeptide sequence.

In one embodiment, provided herein is a nucleic acid sequence encodingprotein or protein fragment from Plasmodium malaria antigen fused to achemokine. In one embodiment the chemokine is a CC chemokine familymember. In one embodiment the CC chemokine family member is MIP-3α. Inanother embodiment the nucleic acid sequence is provided with anadjuvant. In another embodiment, the adjuvant is a liposome. In anotherembodiment, the liposome comprises a cationic lipid and a neutralphospholipid. In another embodiment, the cationic lipid is GAP-DMORIE.In another embodiment, the neutral phospholipid is DPyPE. In anotherembodiment, the adjuvant is Vaxfectin.

In another embodiment, provided herein is a nucleic acid sequenceencoding circumsporozoite protein or protein fragment from Plasmodiumfalciparum fused to MIP-3α. In one embodiment, provided herein is apharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acid sequence encodingcircumsporozoite protein or protein fragment from Plasmodium falciparumfused to MIP-3α, and Vaxfectin. The nucleic acid sequence encoding CSPand encoding MIP-3α can be separated by spacer nucleic acid sequence.The protection against malaria provided by administration of thiscombination can be synergistic and exceed the sum of protection attainedby using either the adjuvant with nucleic acid sequence (e.g., DNA)encoding the parasite antigen alone or a fusion nucleic acid sequence(e.g., DNA) vaccine with the chemokine, but without the adjuvant.

In one embodiment, a malaria DNA vaccine is provided comprising DNAencoding a malaria antigen fused to DNA encoding an immune cell productthat enhances immunological reactivity of the antigen. The DNA fusionproduct can be administered with an adjuvant, e.g., a commerciallyavailable DNA vaccine adjuvant. In one embodiment, the combination ofthe antigen construct and the adjuvant can elicit a protective immuneresponse in a mammal that is equivalent to, substantially similar to, orgreater than the response elicited by irradiated sporozoites. In oneembodiment the mammal is a human. In another embodiment the mammal is anon-human animal (e.g., a mouse, monkey, ape, dog, horse, cow, or deer).In another embodiment the combination of the antigen construct and theadjuvant can elicit a protective immune response in mice that isequivalent to, substantially similar to, or greater than the responseelicited by an antigen alone, e.g., irradiated sporozoites. In oneembodiment this protective response can be elicited in a mouse strainthat is known to be poorly responsive to malaria vaccines.

Methods

In another aspect, provided herein is a method for eliciting an immuneresponse in a subject comprising administering to the subject apharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acid sequence encodingan antigen fused to an immune cell product. In one embodiment thesubject is a mammal In one embodiment the mammal is a human. In anotherembodiment the mammal is a non-human mammal. In one embodiment, thepharmaceutical composition further comprises an adjuvant. In anotherembodiment, administering to a subject a pharmaceutical compositioncomprising a nucleic acid sequence expressing an antigen, e.g., amalaria antigen or cancer antigen, fused to an immune cell product,e.g., MIP-3α, and an adjuvant, e.g., a liposome comprising GAP-DMORIEand DPyPE, elicits a protective immune response that is equivalent to,substantially similar to, or greater than the response elicited byirradiated sporozoites.

In another aspect, provided herein is a method for preventing a diseasecomprising administering to the subject a pharmaceutical compositioncomprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding an antigen fused to animmune cell product. In one embodiment, the pharmaceutical compositionfurther comprises an adjuvant. In another embodiment, the disease iscancer, Alzheimer's disease, a bacterial infection, a fungal infection,a viral infection, or a parasitic infection. In another embodiment, thedisease is malaria.

Additional aspects and embodiments are described below.

II. Nucleic Acid Sequence

A Immune Cell Product and Molecules that Target Dendritic Cells

In one embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence that encodes an antigen fused to an immune cell product. In oneembodiment, the immune cell product enhances the immunologicalreactivity of the antigen. In one embodiment, the immune cell product isa human immune cell product. In another embodiment, the immune cellproduct is a cytokine, or a fragment thereof. In another embodiment, theimmune cell product is a chemokine, or a fragment thereof. In anotherembodiment, the immune cell product can target (e.g., bind) a dendriticcell. In another embodiment, the immune cell product can bind a receptoron a dendritic cell. In another embodiment, the immune cell product canbind a chemokine receptor on a dendritic cell. In one embodiment, thechemokine receptor is CCR1, CCR2, CCR5, CCR6, or CXCR1. In oneembodiment, the dendritic cell is an immature dendritic cell. In oneembodiment, the chemokine is CCL1, CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CCL5, CCL6, CCL7,CCL8, CCL9/CCL10, CCL11, CCL12, CCL13, CCL14, CCL15, CCL16, CCL17,CCL18, CCL19, CCL20, CCL21, CCL22, CCL23, CCL24, CCL25, CCL26, CCL27,CCL28, CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, CXCL4, CXCL5, CXCL6, CXCL7, CXCL8, CXCL9,CXCL10, CXCL11, CXC12, CXCL13, CXCL14, CXCL15, CXCL16, CXCL17, XCL1,XCL2, or CX3CL1, or a fragment or mimic thereof of any of thesechemokines. In one embodiment, the chemokine is a human chemokine. Inone embodiment, the chemokine fragment or mimic thereof retains theability to bind to a chemokine receptor.

In another embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence that encodes an antigen fused to molecule that targets (e.g.,binds) a dendritic cell. In one embodiment, the molecule that targets adendritic cell can bind a Toll-like receptor (TLR). In anotherembodiment, the molecule that targets a dendritic cell binds a chemokinereceptor. In another embodiment, the molecule that targets a dendriticcell is a chemokine. In another embodiment, the molecule that targets adendritic cell is a human beta-defensin-2.

1. Cytokines

In one embodiment, the immune cell product is a cytokine, or a fragmentthereof. A cytokine can be a small cell-signaling molecule (e.g., aprotein or peptide) secreted by a cell of the immune system that can beused in intercellular communication. Cytokines can act at nano-picomolarconcentrations to modulate the activities of cells and tissues. They canmediate interactions between cells and regulate extracellular processes.A cytokine can be, e.g., a lymphokine, interleukin, or a chemokine. Acytokine can be, e.g., a monokine, interferon (IFN), or a colonystimulating factor (CSF). The cytokine can be a cytokine from a mammal,e.g., a human, mouse, cow, horse, camel, gorilla, chimpanzee, rabbit,pig, dog, cat, camel, rat, elephant, deer, rhinoceros, bear, weasel,seal, whale, dolphin, porpoise, bat, shrew, mole, hedgehog, squirrel,chipmunk, gopher, monkey, lemur, anteater, sloth, armadillo, manatee,sea cow, or aardvark.

In one embodiment, the cytokine is a lymphokine. A lymphokine can be aprotein produced by a lymphocyte, a type of white blood cell, e.g., a Tcell. Lymphokines can function to attract immune cells, such asmacrophages or other lymphocytes, to a site of infection. Examples oflymphokines include, e.g., interleukins (e.g., IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta,IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6 (BSF-2), IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-11,IL-12, IL-13, IL-14, IL-15, IL-16, IL-17, IL-18, IL-19, IL-20, IL-21,IL-22, IL-23, IL-24, IL-25, IL-26, IL-27, IL-28, IL-29, IL-30, IL-31,IL-32, IL-33 or IL-35). Interleukins can be synthesized by helper CD4+ Tlymphocytes, monocytes, macrophages, and endothelial cells. A lymphokinecan be a colony-stimulating factor (CSF). A CSF can be a secretedglycoprotein that can bind to a receptor on the surface of a hemopoieticstem cell. CSFs include CSF1, CSF2, and CSF3.

In one embodiment, the immune cell product is a chemokine. In oneembodiment, the immune cell product is a fragment of a chemokine.Examples of chemokines are provided, e.g., in Amanda Proudfoot. Thechemokine family. Potential targets from allergy to HIV infection.European Journal of Dermatology vol. 8, pp 147-157 (1998). A chemokinecan induce chemotaxis in a nearby responsive cell. Chemokines can directlymphocytes to lymph nodes. In one embodiment, the chemokine is CCL1,CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CCL5, CCL6, CCL7, CCL8, CCL9/CCL10, CCL11, CCL12,CCL13, CCL14, CCL15, CCL16, CCL17, CCL18, CCL19, CCL20, CCL21, CCL22,CCL23, CCL24, CCL25, CCL26, CCL27, CCL28, CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, CXCL4,CXCL5, CXCL6, CXCL7, CXCL8, CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, CXC12, CXCL13,CXCL14, CXCL15, CXCL16, CXCL17, XCL1, XCL2, or CX3CL1, or fragment ofany of these chemokines.

Chemokines can be characterized as inflammatory (inducible) orhomeostatic (constitutive), based on their pathophysiologicalactivities. Inflammatory chemokines can be expressed during infection ortissue damage by resident and infiltrating leukocytes. In contrast,homeostatic chemokines can be produced constitutively in discretemicroenvironments, and they can be involved in maintaining thephysiological trafficking of immune cells.

Chemokines can be small proteins with a molecular mass of between about8 to 10 kDa. One feature of many chemokines is four cysteines that formintramolecular disulphide bonds and affect the three dimensional shapeof the chemokine. Chemokines can be classified into one of fourdifferent chemokine families based on the number and positioning ofcysteines in the chemokine. A first family is the CC chemokine family.Members of the CC chemokine family have two adjacent cysteines neartheir amino terminus. CC chemokine family members include, e.g., CCchemokine ligands (CCL) 1 to 28. A second family is CXC chemokinefamily. Members of the CXC chemokine family have two N-terminalcysteines separated by one amino acid. CXC chemokines include CXCL1 -17.A third family is the C chemokines. C chemokines have only twocysteines. Examples of C chemokines include XCL1 and XCL2. A fourthfamily is the CXXXC, or CX₃C, family. CX3CL1 is an example of a memberof the CX₃C family.

2. Dendritic Cell Targeting

In another embodiment, the immune cell product targets, e.g., binds, adendritic cell (DC), e.g., an immature DC. A DC is an immune cell thatcan process antigen material and present the material on the surface ofthe dendritic cell to T and B lymphocytes. Thus, a DC can be an antigenpresenting cell. DCs can be found in peripheral tissues, e.g., on theskin and in the inner linking of the stomach, intestines, nose, andlungs. For example, Langerhans cells are dendritic cells found in theepidermis.

Dendritic cells can include myeloid dendritic cells (mDC) andplasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC). Myeloid dendritic cells can includemDC-1, which can stimulate T cells, and mDC-2, which can function infighting wound infection. mDCs can secrete IL-12 and can expressToll-like receptors TLR-1, TLR-2, TLR-3, TLR-4, TLR-5, TLR-6, TLR-8,and/or TLR-11. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells can produce interferon-alphaand have Toll-like receptors TLR 7 and TLR 9. TLRs and dendritic cellsare reviewed, e.g., in Liu, Ko-Jiunn. Dendritic Cell, Toll-LikeReceptor, and The Immune Systemhttp://www.mupnet.com/JOCM%202(6)%20213-215.pdf.

Immature dendritic cells (iDCs) can be generated from hemopoietic bonemarrow progenitor cells. Immature DCs can exist in the peripheraltissues and in secondary lymph nodes. An iDC can have well-developedendocytic function and low levels of expression of MHC Class I and IImolecules. An iDC can have low T cell activation potential.

An iDC can survey the environment for pathogens such as viruses andbacteria using pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), e.g., Toll-likereceptors (TLRs). A Toll-like receptor is a single membrane spanningreceptor that can recognize structurally conserved regions on microbes.

An iDC can take up antigen through fluid-phase endocytosis. An iDC canphagocytose a pathogen, degrade proteins from the pathogen, and presentthe fragments on the DC surface using MHC molecules. A DC can thenmigrate to a lymph node. An activated DC can upregulate cell-surfacereceptors CD80, CD86, and CD40, that can act as coreceptors in T cellactivation. A mature DC can upregulate the CCR7 receptor that can inducea DC to move through the blood stream to the spleen or through thelymphatic system to a lymph node. Mature DC have decreased endocyticactivity and increased surface expression of class II MHC costimulatorymolecules. A migrated mature DC can present foreign antigens to naïve Tcells. A T cell can be clonally expanded to effector T cells for aprimary immune response. Some T cells differentiate to memory T cellsfor a second immune response.

Both induction and expression of T cell-mediated responses can involveclose approximation of T cells and the cells that activate them or aretheir targets. While soluble cytokines and lymphokines play roles inthese processes, they can be active at concentrations that can beachieved in close proximity to their cell of origin. Cells involved inthe development of T cell immunity have evolved to establish proximityto the appropriate cell to execute effector or inductive functions.Bringing an antigen of interest into contact with the most efficientantigen-presenting cells can depend on the ability of the stimulatingantigen to mobilize an inflammatory response that will attract immunecells to the site. Molecular components of viruses, bacteria, andparasites can elicit such a response.

Chemokine responsiveness and chemokine receptor expression play a rolein DC recruitment to sites of inflammation and migration to lymphoidorgans. Cell trafficking can be regulated by differential expression ofheterotrimeric Gi protein-coupled seven-transmembrane domain chemokinereceptors on DCs. For example, the receptors CCR1, CCR2, CCR5, CCR6, andCXCR1 can be expressed on iDCs. The CCR6 receptor can bind the chemokineMIP-3α. The chemokine CCL5/RANTES can interact with the receptors CCR5and CCR1. The chemokine CCL3/MIP-1α can interact with the CCR1, CCR4,and CCR5 receptors. Upon maturation of DC, the expression of thesereceptors can be down-regulated, while that of other receptors, such asCCR7, can be up-regulated.

3. CCR1 Receptor Binding

In another embodiment, the immune cell product can bind the CCR1receptor, e.g., a CCR1 receptor of an iDC. CCR1 (also known as CKR1;CD191; CKR-1; HM145; CMKBR1; MIP1aR; SCYAR1) is a member of the betachemokine receptor family, which can be a seven transmembrane proteinsimilar to G protein-coupled receptors. The ligands of this receptorinclude macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha), regulatedon activation normal T expressed and secreted protein (RANTES), monocytechemoattractant protein 3 (MCP-3), and myeloid progenitor inhibitoryfactor-1 (MPIF-1). Chemokines and their receptors mediated signaltransduction are critical for the recruitment of effector immune cellsto the site of inflammation. Knockout studies of the mouse homologsuggested roles for CCR1 receptor in host protection from inflammatoryresponse, and susceptibility to virus and parasite.

4. CCR2 Receptor Binding

In another embodiment, the immune cell product can bind the CCR2receptor, e.g., a CCR2 receptor of an iDC. The CCR2 gene (also known asCKR2; CCR2A; CCR2B; CD192; CKR2A; CKR2B; CMKBR2; MCP-1-R; CC-CKR-2;FLJ78302; MGC103828; MGC111760; MGC168006) encodes two isoforms of areceptor for monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, a chemokine whichspecifically mediates monocyte chemotaxis. Monocyte chemoattractantprotein-1 is involved in monocyte infiltration in inflammatory diseasessuch as rheumatoid arthritis as well as in the inflammatory responseagainst tumors. The receptors encoded by this gene mediateagonist-dependent calcium mobilization and inhibition of adenylylcyclase.

5. CCR5 Receptor Binding

In another embodiment, the immune cell product can bind the CCR5receptor, e.g., a CCR5 receptor of an iDC. CCR5 (also known as CKR5;CD195; CKR-5; CCCKR5; CMKBR5; IDDM22; CC-CKR-5; FLJ78003) is a member ofthe beta chemokine receptor family, which can be a seven transmembraneprotein similar to G protein-coupled receptors. This protein isexpressed by T cells and macrophages, and is known to be a co-receptorfor macrophage-tropic virus, including HIV, to enter host cells.Defective alleles of the CCR5 gene have been associated with HIVinfection resistance. The ligands of this receptor include monocytechemoattractant protein 2 (MCP-2), macrophage inflammatory protein 1alpha (MIP-1 alpha), macrophage inflammatory protein 1 beta (MIP-1 beta)and regulated on activation normal T expressed and secreted protein(RANTES). Expression of the CCR5 gene is also detected in apromyeloblastic cell line, suggesting that this protein can play a rolein granulocyte lineage proliferation and differentiation.

6. CCR6 Receptor Binding

In another embodiment, the immune cell product can bind the CCR6receptor, e.g., a CCR6 receptor of an iDC. CCR6 (chemokine (C-C motif)receptor 6) is also known as BN-1; DCR2; DRY6; CCR-6; CD196; CKRL3;GPR29; CKR-L3; CMKBR6; GPRCY4; STRL22; CC-CKR-6; and C-C CKR-6). CCR6 isa member of the beta chemokine receptor family and is predicted to be aseven transmembrane protein, similar to G protein-coupled receptors. TheCCR6 gene can be expressed by iDCs and memory T cells. CCR6 receptor canplay a role in B-lineage maturation and antigen-driven B-celldifferentiation, and it can regulate the migration and recruitment ofdendritic and T cells during inflammatory and immunological responses.Human β-defensin 2, an antimicrobial peptide involved in innate immunityagainst infection, can bind to the chemokine CCR6. The CCR6 receptor canbind the chemokine MIP-3α.

7. CXCR1 Receptor Binding

In another embodiment, the immune cell product can bind the CXCR1receptor, e.g., a CCR6 receptor of an iDC. CXCR1 (chemokine (C-X-Cmotif) receptor 1, also known as C-C; CD128; CD181; CKR-1; IL8R1; IL8RA;CMKAR1; IL8RBA; CDw128a; C-C-CKR-1) is a member of the G-protein-coupledreceptor family. This protein can be a receptor for interleukin 8 (IL8).CXCR1 can bind to IL8 with high affinity, and can transduce the signalthrough a G-protein activated second messenger system. Knockout studiesin mice suggested that this protein inhibits embryonic oligodendrocyteprecursor migration in developing spinal cord.

8. Defensins

In another embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence that encodes an antigen fused to a defensin. In anotherembodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising a sequencethat encodes an antigen fused to human β-defensin 2. In anotherembodiment, the immune cell product that can bind the CCR6 receptor ishuman beta-defensin-2 (also known as DEFB4A, BD-2, SAP1, DEFB2, HBD-2,DEFB-2, BEFB102). In another embodiment, the immune cell product is afragment of human beta-defensin-2. DEFB4A is a cysteine-rich cationiclow molecular weight antimicrobial peptide. It can be produced byepithelial cells and can exhibit potent antimicrobial activity againstGram-negative bacteria and Candida. DEFB4A can be produced followingstimulation of epithelial cells by contacting microorganisms such asPseudomonas aeruginosa or cytokines such as TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta. TheDEFB4A gene and protein can be locally expressed in keratinocytesassociated with inflammatory skin lesions such as psoriasis as well asin the infected lung epithelia of patients with cystic fibrosis. DEFB4Acan interact with the CCR6 receptor. Nucleic acid sequence and proteinsequence for DEFB4A are provided in Table 2.

In another embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence that encodes an antigen fused to murine beta-defensin 2. Murinebeta-defensin 2 is also known as BD-2; MGC129140; MGC129141. Nucleicacid sequence and protein sequence for murine beta-defensin 2 areprovided in Table 2.

In another embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence encoding an antigen fused to human beta defensin 3. The nucleicacid sequence and protein sequence for human beta defensin 3 can befound in Table 2.

9. MIP-3α (CCL20)

In another embodiment, the immune cell product is macrophageinflammatory 3-alpha (MIP-3α). In another embodiment, the immune cellproduct is a fragment of MIP-3α. MIP-3α can be a ligand of CCR6receptor. MIP-3α (also known as CCL20 (chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 20),Ckb4, LARC (liver activation regulated chemokine), ST38, or SCYA20) is acytokine that belongs to the CC chemokine family. MIP-3α can bechemotactic for lymphocytes and can attract neutrophils. MIP-3α can beinvolved in the function of mucosal lymphoid tissues by chemoattractionof lymphocytes and dendritic cells towards epithelial cells surroundingthese tissues. MIP-3α can elicit its effects on target cells by bindingand activating the chemokine receptor CCR6. In another embodiment, theimmune cell product is a fragment MIP-3α. Nucleic sequence and proteinsequence for MIP-3αare provided in Table 2.

By fusing the chemokine MIP-3α to the antigens of interest, iDC can beattracted to the site of antigen deposition and also ensure efficientuptake of antigen by the CCR6-bearing iDC that play a role in theinitiation of immune responses. MIP-3α can attract immature Langerhanscells to dermal sites. GM-CSF can down-regulate expression of CCR6 onLangerhans cells, potentially interfering with their ability to initiatethe optimal immune response. Interruption of CCR6 engagement canpreclude the development of CD8+ T cell-mediated cytotoxic activity. Byincreasing the efficiency of both recruitment of iDC to the inoculationsite and the uptake of antigen by those recruited iDC, the number ofantigen-presenting cells that mature after antigen-uptake and migrate tosites of T cell activation can be expanded.

10. CCL5/RANTES

In another embodiment, the immune cell product is CCL5 (chemokine (C-Cmotif) ligand 5). CCL5 is also known as SISd; SCYA5; RANTES; TCP228;D17S136E; MGC17164. CCL5 is a CC cytokine. Cytokines are a family ofsecreted proteins involved in immunoregulatory and inflammatoryprocesses. The CC cytokines are proteins characterized by two adjacentcysteines. CCL5 functions as a chemoattractant for blood monocytes,memory T helper cells and eosinophils. It causes the release ofhistamine from basophils and activates eosinophils. This cytokine is oneof the major HIV-suppressive factors produced by CD8+ cells. CCL5 canfunction as one of the natural ligands for the chemokine receptor CCR5and it can suppress in vitro replication of the R5 strains of HIV-1,which can use CCR5 as a coreceptor. Nucleic sequence and proteinsequence for MIP-3α are provided in Table 2.

11. CCL3

In another embodiment, the immune cell product is CCL3 (chemokine (C-Cmotif) ligand 3). CCL3 is also known as MIP1A; SCYA3; GOS19-1;LD78ALPHA; MIP-1-alpha. CCL3 is an inducible cytokine. CCL3, also knownas macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha, plays a role in inflammatoryresponses through binding to the receptors CCR1, CCR4 and CCR5.Polymorphisms at this locus can be associated with both resistance andsusceptibility to infection by human immunodeficiency virus type.Nucleic sequence and protein sequence for CCL3 are provided in Table 2.

12. IL8

In another embodiment, the immune cell product is IL8 (interleukin 8).IL8 is also known as NAF; GCP1; LECT; LUCT; NAP1; CXCL8; GCP-1; LYNAP;MDNCF; MONAP; NAP-1. IL8 is a member of the CXC chemokine family. Thischemokine is a mediator of the inflammatory response. This chemokine issecreted by several cell types. IL8 can function as a chemoattractantand an angiogenic factor. IL8 is believed to play a role in thepathogenesis of bronchiolitis, a common respiratory tract disease causedby viral infection.

13. CCL7

In another embodiment, the immune cell product is CCL7 (chemokine (C-Cmotif) ligand 7). CCL7 is also known as FIC; MARC; MCP3; NC28; MCP-3;SCYA6; SCYA7; MGC138463; MGC138465. CCL7, also known as monocytechemotactic protein 3, is a secreted chemokine that can attractmacrophages during inflammation and metastasis. It is a member of theC-C subfamily of chemokines which are characterized by having twoadjacent cysteine residues. The protein can be an in vivo substrate ofmatrix metalloproteinase 2, an enzyme that can degrade components of theextracellular matrix.

14. CCL2

In another embodiment, the immune cell product is CCL2 (chemokine (C-Cmotif) ligand 2). CCL2 is also known as HC11; MCAF; MCP1; MCP-1; SCYA2;GDCF-2; SMC-CF; HSMCR30; MGC9434. CCL2 is structurally related to theCXC subfamily of cytokines. Members of this subfamily are characterizedby two cysteines separated by a single amino acid. This cytokinedisplays chemotactic activity for monocytes and basophils but not forneutrophils or eosinophils. CCL2 has been implicated in the pathogenesisof diseases characterized by monocytic infiltrates, like psoriasis,rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis. CCL2 can bind to chemokinereceptors CCR2 and CCR4.

15. CCL23

In another embodiment, the immune cell product is CCL23 (chemokine (C-Cmotif) ligand 23). CCL23 is also known as CKb8; MIP3; Ckb-8; MIP-3;MPIF-1; SCYA23; Ckb-8-1; CK-BETA-8. CCL23 displays chemotactic activityon resting T lymphocytes and monocytes, lower activity on neutrophilsand no activity on activated T lymphocytes. The protein is also a strongsuppressor of colony formation by a multipotential hematopoieticprogenitor cell line. CCL23 is an agonist at CC chemokine receptor 1.

16. CCL8

In another embodiment, the immune cell product is CCL8 (chemokine (C-Cmotif) ligand 8). CCL8 is also known as CKb8; MIP3; Ckb-8; MIP-3;MPIF-1; SCYA23; Ckb-8-1; CK-BETA-8. CCL8 is a member of the CXCsubfamily of cytokines. Members of this subfamily are characterized bytwo cysteines separated by a single amino acid. This cytokine displayschemotactic activity for monocytes, lymphocytes, basophils andeosinophils. By recruiting leukocytes to sites of inflammation thiscytokine can contribute to tumor-associated leukocyte infiltration.

17. CCL4

In another embodiment, the immune cell product is CCL4 (chemokine (C-Cmotif) ligand 4). CCL4 is also known as ACT2; G-26; LAG1; MIP1B; SCYA2;SCYA4; MIP1B1; AT744.1; MGC104418; MGC126025; MGC126026; MIP-1-beta.CCL4, also known as Macrophage inflammatory protein-1β (MIP-1β) is a CCchemokine with specificity for CCR5 receptors. It can be achemoattractant for natural killer cells, monocytes and a variety ofother immune cells. CCL4 is a HIV-suppressive factor produced by CD8+ Tcells.

18. CCL22

In another embodiment, the immune cell product is CCL22 (chemokine (C-Cmotif) ligand 22. CCL22 is also known as MDC; ABCD-1; SCYA22; STCP-1;DC/B-CK; MGC34554; or A-152E5.1. MDC; ABCD-1; SCYA22; STCP-1; DC/B-CK;MGC34554; A-152E5.1 CCL22 is a CC family member; the CC cytokines areproteins characterized by two adjacent cysteines. CCL22 displayschemotactic activity for monocytes, dendritic cells, natural killercells and for chronically activated T lymphocytes. It also displays amild activity for primary activated T lymphocytes. CCL22 can bind tochemokine receptor CCR4. This chemokine can play a role in thetrafficking of activated T lymphocytes to inflammatory sites and otheraspects of activated T lymphocyte physiology.

19. CXCL2

In another embodiment, the immune cell product is CXCL2 (chemokine(C-X-C motif) ligand 2. CXCL2 is also known as GRO2; GROb; MIP2; MIP2A;SCYB2; MGSA-b; MIP-2a; or CINC-2a.

In one embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence that encodes an antigen fused to a cytokine. In one embodiment,a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising a sequence that encodesan antigen fused to a chemokine. In one embodiment, a nucleic acidsequence is provided comprising a sequence that encodes an antigen fusedto an immune cell product that targets an immature dendritic cell. Inone embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence that encodes an antigen fused to an immune cell product thattargets CCR6 receptor. In one embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence isprovided comprising a sequence that encodes an antigen fused to MIP-3α.

B. Antigen

1. Parasite Antigen

In one embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence that encodes a parasite antigen fused to an immune cellproduct, e.g., MIP-3α or a fragment or mimic thereof. In one embodiment,a nucleic acid is provided comprising a sequence that encodes a parasiteantigen fused to a ligand for a receptor on a dendritic cell, e.g.,MIP-3α or a fragment or mimic thereof. In one embodiment, the parasiteantigen is from the parasite Acanthamoeba, African trypanosomiasis,Echinocococcus granulosus, Echinococcus multilocularis, Entamoebahistolytica, Trypanosoma cruzi, Ascaris lumbricoides, Angiostrongyluscantonensis, anisakid nematode, Babesia microti, Balantidium coli, Cimexlectularius, Balamuthia mandrillaris, Baylisascaris, Schistosomamansoni, S. haematobium, S. japonicum, Schistosoma masoni, Schistosomaintercalatum, B. hominis, body lice, Capillaria hepatica, Capillariaphilippinensis, Austrobilharzia variglandis, Chilomastix mesnili,Endolimax nana, Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba dispar, Entamoeba hartmanni,Entamoeba polecki, Iodamoeba buetschlii, C. sinensis, Ancylostomabrazilense, A. caninum, A. ceylanicum, Uncinaria stenocephala, lice,Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora cayetanensis, Taenia, Cystoisospora belli,Dientamoeba fragilis, Diphyllobothrium latum, Dipylidium caninum,Dracunculus medinensis, Giardia intestinalis, Brugia malayi, Entamoebahistolytica, Enterobius vermicularis, Fasciola hepatica, Fasciolagigantica, Fasciolopsis buski, Toxoplasma gondii, Trichinella spiralis,Giardia lamblia, Giardia duodenalis, Gnathostoma spinigerum, Heterophyesheterophyes, Hymenolepis nana, Leishmania promastigotes, Pediculushumanus capitis, Pediculus humanus corporis, Pthirus pubis, Loa loa,Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodiummalariae, Plasmodium yoelii, Plasmodium bubalis, Plasmodiumjuxtanucleare, Plasmodium circumflexum, Plasmodium relictum, Plasmodiumrelictum, Plasmodium vaughani, Plasmodium minasense, Plasmodium agamae,Plasmodium dominicum, Brachiola algerae, B. connori, B. vesicularum,Encephalitozoon cuniculi, E. hellem, E. intestinalis, Enterocytozoonbieneusi Microsporidium ceylonensis, M. africanum, Nosema ocularum,Pleistophora sp., Trachipleistophora hominis, T. anthropophthera,Vittaforma corneae, Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis, Dermatobia hominis,Naegleria fowleri, Toxocara canis, Toxocara cati, Onchocerca volvulus,Opisthorchis felineus, Paragonimus westermani, Pneumocystis jirovecii,Sappinia dipioidea, Sappinia pedata, Trypanosoma brucei, Trichuristrichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides, Anclostoma duodenale, Necatoramericanus, Strongyloides stercoralis, Strongyloides fülleborni,Capillaria philippinensis, Taenia saginata, Taenia solium, Taeniaasiatica, Toxoplasma gondii, Trichinella, or Trichomonas vaginalis. Inone embodiment, the antigen is from a Plasmodium species. In oneembodiment, the antigen is from Plasmodium falciparum.

In one embodiment, the antigen is a malaria antigen. The malaria antigencan be from a species of Plasmodium. The Plasmodium species can be,e.g., Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium falciparum,Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium yoelii, Plasmodium bubalis, Plasmodiumjuxtanucleare, Plasmodium circumflexum, Plasmodium relictum, Plasmodiumrelictum, Plasmodium vaughani, Plasmodium minasense, Plasmodium agamae,or Plasmodium dominicum.

The malaria antigen can be an antigen that is expressed during one ormore stages of a Plasmodium life cycle. The Plasmodium life cycle isdescribed, e.g., at http://dpd.cdc.gov/DPDx/HTML/Malaria.htm. APlasmodium life cycle can involve two hosts. During a blood meal, aPlasmodium infected female Anopheles mosquito can inoculate sporozoitesinto the human host. Sporozoites can infect liver cells and mature intoschizonts, which can rupture and release merozoites. In P. vivax and P.ovale, a dormant stage (hypnozoites) can persist in the liver and causerelapses by invading the bloodstream weeks, or even years later. Afterthis initial replication in the liver (exo-erythrocytic schizogony), theparasites undergo asexual multiplication in the erythrocytes(erythrocytic schizogony). Meroziotes infect red blood cells. The ringstage trophozoites mature into schizonts, which rupture releasingmerozoites. Some parasites differentiate into sexual erythrocytic stages(gametocytes). Blood stage parasites are responsible for clinicalmanifestations of malaria.

The gametocytes, male (microgametocyes) and female (macrogametocytes),are ingested by an Anopheles mosquito during a blood meal. Theparasites' multiplication in the mosquito is called the sporogoniccycle. While in the mosquito's stomach, the microgametes can penetratethe macrogametes generating zygotes. The zygotes in turn become motileand elongated (ookinetes) which invade the midgut wall of the mosquitowhere they develop into oocysts. The oocysts grow, rupture, and releasesporozoites, which make their way to the mosquito's salivary glands.Inoculation of the sporozoites into a new human host perpetuates themalaria life cycle.

The malaria antigen can be, e.g., circumsporozoite (CSP) protein orprotein fragment, liver stage antigen-1 (LSA-1), erythrocyte bindingantigen (EBA-175), merozoite surface antigen 1&2 (MSA-1&2), ringinfected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA), serine repeat antigen(SERA), rhoptry associated protein 1 (RAP1) and 2 (RAP2), histidine richprotein 2 (HRP), apical membrane antigen-1 (APM-1), Pfs 25, 48/45k, orPfs 230. The malaria antigen can be a fragment of any of these antigens.The malaria antigen can be a fusion of all or part of one or more ofthese antigens.

The malaria antigen from the species Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale,Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium yoelii,Plasmodium bubalis, Plasmodium juxtanucleare, Plasmodium circumflexum,Plasmodium relictum, Plasmodium relictum, Plasmodium vaughani,Plasmodium minasense, Plasmodium agamae, or Plasmodium dominicum. In oneembodiment, the malaria antigen is circumsporozoite protein or proteinfragment. In another embodiment, the malaria antigen is circumsporozoiteprotein or protein fragment from Plasmodium falciparum.

In one embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence encoding circumsporozoite protein or protein fragment fromPlasmodium falciparum fused to MIP-3α.

2. Cancer Antigen

In one embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence that encodes a cancer antigen or a fragment thereof fused to animmune cell product, e.g., MIP-3α or a fragment or mimic thereof. In oneembodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising a sequencethat encodes a cancer antigen or a fragment thereof fused to a ligandfor a receptor on a dendritic cell, e.g., MIP-3α or a fragment or mimicthereof. The cancer can be, e.g., acute myeloid leukemia; bladdercancer, including upper tract tumors and urothelial carcinoma of theprostate; bone cancer, including chondrosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, andosteosarcoma; breast cancer, including noninvasive, invasive, phyllodestumor, Paget's disease, and breast cancer during pregnancy; centralnervous system cancers, adult low-grade infiltrative supratentorialastrocytoma/oligodendroglioma, adult intracranial ependymoma, anaplasticastrocytoma/anaplastic oligodendroglioma/glioblastoma multiforme,limited (1-3) metastatic lesions, multiple (>3) metastatic lesions,carcinomatous lymphomatous meningitis, nonimmunosuppressed primary CNSlymphoma, and metastatic spine tumors; cervical cancer; chronicmyelogenous leukemia (CML); colon cancer, rectal cancer, anal carcinoma;esophageal cancer; gastric (stomach) cancer; head and neck cancers,including ethmoid sinus tumors, maxillary sinus tumors, salivary glandtumors, cancer of the lip, cancer of the oral cavity, cancer of theoropharynx, cancer of the hypopharynx, occult primary, cancer of theglottic larynx, cancer of the supraglottic larynx, cancer of thenasopharynx, and advanced head and neck cancer; hepatobiliary cancers,including hepatocellular carcinoma, gallbladder cancer, intrahepaticcholangiocarcinoma, and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma; Hodgkindisease/lymphoma; kidney cancer; melanoma; multiple myeloma, systemiclight chain amyloidosis, Waldenström's macroglobulinemia;myelodysplastic syndromes; neuroendocrine tumors, including multipleendocrine neoplasia, type 1, multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2,carcinoid tumors, islet cell tumors, pheochromocytoma, poorlydifferentiated/small cell/atypical lung carcinoids; Non-Hodgkin'sLymphomas, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocyticlymphoma, follicular lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma, mantle celllymphoma, diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma, Burkitt's lymphoma,lymphoblastic lymphoma, AIDS-Related B-Cell lymphoma, peripheral T-Celllymphoma, and mycosis fungoides/Sézary Syndrome; non-melanoma skincancers, including basal and squamous cell skin cancers,dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, Merkel cell carcinoma; non-small celllung cancer (NSCLC), including thymic malignancies; occult primary;ovarian cancer, including epithelial ovarian cancer, borderlineepithelial ovarian cancer (Low Malignant Potential), and less commonovarian histologies; pancreatic adenocarcinoma; prostate cancer; smallcell lung cancer and lung neuroendocrine tumors; soft tissue sarcoma,including soft-tissue extremity, retroperitoneal, intra-abdominalsarcoma, and desmoid; testicular cancer; thymic malignancies, includingthyroid carcinoma, nodule evaluation, papillary carcinoma, follicularcarcinoma, Hürthle cell neoplasm, medullary carcinoma, and anaplasticcarcinoma; or uterine neoplasms, including endometrial cancer anduterine sarcoma.

The cancer antigen or a fragment thereof can be a tumor antigen or afragment thereof listed in, e.g., U.S. Patent Application No.20080044418 or a cancer antigen listed in U.S. Patent Application No.20090074800, which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentireties. A cancer antigen or a fragment thereof can be a proteinexpressed in a cancer cell but not a normal cell. A cancer antigen or afragment thereof can be a protein over-expressed in a cancer cellrelative to a normal cell.

A cancer antigen or a fragment thereof can comprise, for example, anantigen selected from HER2, BRCA1, prostate-specific membrane antigen(PSMA), MART-1/MelanA, prostatic serum antigen (PSA), squamous cellcarcinoma antigen (SCCA), ovarian cancer antigen (OCA), pancreas cancerassociated antigen (PaA), MUC-1, MUC-2, MUC-3, MUC-18, carcino-embryonicantigen (CEA), polymorphic epithelial mucin (PEM), Thomsen-Friedenreich(T) antigen, gp100, tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2, NY-ESO-1, CDK-4,b-catenin, MUM-1, Caspase-8, KIAA0205, HPVE7, SART-1, SART-2, PRAME,BAGE-1, DAGE-1, RAGE-1, NAG, TAG-72, CA125, mutated p21ras, mutated p53,HPV16 E7, RCC-3.1.3, MAGE-1, MAGE-2, MAGE-3, MAGE-4, MAGE-11, GAGE-I,GAGE-6, GD2, GD3, GM2, TF, sTn, gp75, EBV-LMP 1, EBV-LMP 2, HPV-F4,HPV-F6, HPV-F7, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), CO17-1A, GA733, gp72, p-HCG,gp43, HSP-70, p17 mel, HSP-70, gp43, HMW, HOJ-1, HOM-MEL-55, NY-COL-2,HOM-HD-397, HOM-RCC-1.14, HOM-HD-21, HOM-NSCLC-11, HOM-MEL-2.4,HOM-TES-11, melanoma gangliosides, TAG-72, prostatic acid phosphatase,protein MZ2-E, folate-binding-protein LK26, truncated epidermal growthfactor receptor (EGFR), GM-2 and GD-2 gangliosides, polymorphicepithelial mucin, folate-binding protein LK26, pancreatic oncofetalantigen, cancer antigen 15-3, cancer antigen 19-9, cancer antigen 549,cancer antigen 195 or a fragment thereof.

A cancer antigen or a fragment thereof can also comprise a novel antigenthat is specific to an individual tumor. For example, mRNAs that areoverexpressed in a tumor sample, as compared to a control sample fromthe same individual, can be used to construct a nucleic acid sequencesequence comprising a tumor-specific antigen fused to MIP-3α.

In one embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence that encodes a cancer antigen or a fragment thereof fused toMIP-3α.

3. Alzheimer's Disease Antigen

In one embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence that encodes an Alzheimer's disease antigen or a fragmentthereof fused to an immune cell product, e.g., MIP-3α or a fragment ormimic thereof. In one embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is providedcomprising a sequence that encodes an Alzheimer's disease antigen or afragment thereof fused to a ligand for a receptor on a dendritic cell,e.g., MIP-3α or a fragment or mimic thereof. Alzheimer's disease is aform of dementia that can progressively worsen over time. Alzheimer'sdisease can affect memory, thinking, and behavior. Alzheimer's diseasecan result in problems with language, decision-making ability, judgment,and personality. Alzheimer's disease can include early onset Alzheimer'sdisease (first symptoms before age 60) and late onset Alzheimer'sdisease (first symptoms develop at age 60 or older). Alzheimer's diseasecan be characterized by the presence of neurofibrillary tangles,neuritic plaques, or senile plaques in the brain.

An Alzheimer's disease antigen or a fragment thereof can be an antigenor a fragment thereof expressed in a subject with Alzheimer's diseasebut not in a subject without Alzheimer's disease. An Alzheimer's diseaseantigen or a fragment thereof can be an antigen or a fragment thereofoverexpressed in a subject with Alzheimer's disease relative to asubject that does not have Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's diseaseantigen can be, for example, A68, Aβ40, Aβ42 or a fragment thereof (see,e.g., Gao C M, et al. (2010) Ab40 Oligomers Identified as a PotentialBiomarker for the Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease. PLoS ONE 5(12):e15725. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0015725).

In one embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence that encodes an Alzheimer's disease antigen fused to MIP-3α.

4. Viral Antigens

In one embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence that encodes a viral antigen or a fragment thereof fused to animmune cell product, e.g., MIP-3α or a fragment or mimic thereof. In oneembodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising a sequencethat encodes a viral antigen or a fragment thereof fused to a ligand fora receptor on a dendritic cell, e.g., MIP-3α or a fragment or mimicthereof. In one embodiment, the virus is Abelson leukemia virus, Abelsonmurine leukemia virus, Abelson's virus, Acute laryngotracheobronchitisvirus, Adelaide River virus, Adeno associated virus group, Adenovirus,African horse sickness virus, African swine fever virus, AIDS virus,Aleutian mink disease parvovirus, Alpharetrovirus, Alphavirus, ALVrelated virus, Amapari virus, Aphthovirus, Aquareovirus, Arbovirus,Arbovirus C, arbovirus group A, arbovirus group B, Arenavirus group,Argentine hemorrhagic fever virus, Argentine hemorrhagic fever virus,Arterivirus, Astrovirus, Ateline herpesvirus group, Aujezky's diseasevirus, Aura virus, Ausduk disease virus, Australian bat lyssavirus,Aviadenovirus, avian erythroblastosis virus, avian infectious bronchitisvirus, avian leukemia virus, avian leukosis virus, avian lymphomatosisvirus, avian myeloblastosis virus, avian paramyxovirus, avianpneumoencephalitis virus, avian reticuloendotheliosis virus, aviansarcoma virus, avian type C retrovirus group, Avihepadnavirus,Avipoxvirus, B virus, B19 virus, Babanki virus, baboon herpesvirus,baculovirus, Barmah Forest virus, Bebaru virus, Berrimah virus,Betaretrovirus, Birnavirus, Bittner virus, BK virus, Black Creek Canalvirus, bluetongue virus, Bolivian hemorrhagic fever virus, Boma diseasevirus, border disease of sheep virus, borna virus, bovinealphaherpesvirus 1, bovine alphaherpesvirus 2, bovine coronavirus,bovine ephemeral fever virus, bovine immunodeficiency virus, bovineleukemia virus, bovine leukosis virus, bovine mammillitis virus, bovinepapillomavirus, bovine papular stomatitis virus, bovine parvovirus,bovine syncytial virus, bovine type C oncovirus, bovine viral diarrheavirus, Buggy Creek virus, bullet shaped virus group, Bunyamwera virussupergroup, Bunyavirus, Burkitt's lymphoma virus, Bwamba Fever, CAvirus, Calicivirus, California encephalitis virus, camelpox virus,canarypox virus, canid herpesvirus, canine coronavirus, canine distempervirus, canine herpesvirus, canine minute virus, canine parvovirus, CanoDelgadito virus, caprine arthritis virus, caprine encephalitis virus,Caprine Herpes Virus, Capripox virus, Cardiovirus, caviid herpesvirus 1,Cercopithecid herpesvirus 1, cercopithecine herpesvirus 1,Cercopithecine herpesvirus 2, Chandipura virus, Changuinola virus,channel catfish virus, Charleville virus, chickenpox virus, Chikungunyavirus, chimpanzee herpesvirus, chub reovirus, chum salmon virus, Cocalvirus, Coho salmon reovirus, coital exanthema virus, Colorado tick fevervirus, Coltivirus, Columbia SK virus, common cold virus, contagiousecthyma virus, contagious pustular dermatitis virus, Coronavirus,Corriparta virus, coryza virus, cowpox virus, coxsackie virus, CPV(cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus), cricket paralysis virus, Crimean-Congohemorrhagic fever virus, croup associated virus, Cryptovirus, Cypovirus,Cytomegalovirus, cytomegalovirus group, cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus,deer papillomavirus, deltaretrovirus, dengue virus, Densovirus,Dependovirus, Dhori virus, diploma virus, Drosophila C virus, duckhepatitis B virus, duck hepatitis virus 1, duck hepatitis virus 2,duovirus, Duvenhage virus, Deformed wing virus DWV, eastern equineencephalitis virus, eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus, EB virus,Ebola virus, Ebola-like virus, echo virus, echovirus, echovirus 10,echovirus 28, echovirus 9, ectromelia virus, EEE virus, EIA virus, EIAvirus, encephalitis virus, encephalomyocarditis group virus,encephalomyocarditis virus, Enterovirus, enzyme elevating virus, enzymeelevating virus (LDH), epidemic hemorrhagic fever virus, epizootichemorrhagic disease virus, Epstein-Barr virus, equid alphaherpesvirus 1,equid alphaherpesvirus 4, equid herpesvirus 2, equine abortion virus,equine arteritis virus, equine encephalosis virus, equine infectiousanemia virus, equine morbillivirus, equine rhinopneumonitis virus,equine rhinovirus, Eubenangu virus, European elk papillomavirus,European swine fever virus, Everglades virus, Eyach virus, felidherpesvirus 1, feline calicivirus, feline fibrosarcoma virus, felineherpesvirus, feline immunodeficiency virus, feline infectiousperitonitis virus, feline leukemia/sarcoma virus, feline leukemia virus,feline panleukopenia virus, feline parvovirus, feline sarcoma virus,feline syncytial virus, Filovirus, Flanders virus, Flavivirus, foot andmouth disease virus, Fort Morgan virus, Four Corners hantavirus, fowladenovirus 1, fowlpox virus, Friend virus, Gammaretrovirus, GB hepatitisvirus, GB virus, German measles virus, Getah virus, gibbon ape leukemiavirus, glandular fever virus, goatpox virus, golden shinner virus,Gonometa virus, goose parvovirus, granulosis virus, Gross' virus, groundsquirrel hepatitis B virus, group A arbovirus, Guanarito virus, guineapig cytomegalovirus, guinea pig type C virus, Hantaan virus, Hantavirus,hard clam reovirus, hare fibroma virus, HCMV (human cytomegalovirus),hemadsorption virus 2, hemagglutinating virus of Japan, hemorrhagicfever virus, hendra virus, Henipaviruses, Hepadnavirus, hepatitis Avirus, hepatitis B virus group, hepatitis C virus, hepatitis D virus,hepatitis delta virus, hepatitis E virus, hepatitis F virus, hepatitis Gvirus, hepatitis nonA nonB virus, hepatitis virus, hepatitis virus(nonhuman), hepatoencephalomyelitis reovirus 3, Hepatovirus, heronhepatitis B virus, herpes B virus, herpes simplex virus, herpes simplexvirus 1, herpes simplex virus 2, herpesvirus, herpesvirus 7, Herpesvirusateles, Herpesvirus hominis, Herpesvirus infection, Herpesvirus saimiri,Herpesvirus suis, Herpesvirus varicellae, Highlands J virus, Hiramerhabdovirus, hog cholera virus, human adenovirus 2, humanalphaherpesvirus 1, human alphaherpesvirus 2, human alphaherpesvirus 3,human B lymphotropic virus, human betaherpesvirus 5, human coronavirus,human cytomegalovirus group, human foamy virus, human gammaherpesvirus4, human gammaherpesvirus 6, human hepatitis A virus, human herpesvirus1 group, human herpesvirus 2 group, human herpesvirus 3 group, humanherpesvirus 4 group, human herpesvirus 6, human herpesvirus 8, humanimmunodeficiency virus, human immunodeficiency virus 1, humanimmunodeficiency virus 2, human papillomavirus, human T cell leukemiavirus, human T cell leukemia virus I, human T cell leukemia virus II,human T cell leukemia virus III, human T cell lymphoma virus I, human Tcell lymphoma virus II, human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1, human Tcell lymphotropic virus type 2, human T lymphotropic virus I, human Tlymphotropic virus II, human T lymphotropic virus III, Ichnovirus,infantile gastroenteritis virus, infectious bovine rhinotracheitisvirus, infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus, infectious pancreaticnecrosis virus, influenza virus A, influenza virus B, influenza virus C,influenza virus D, influenza virus pr8, insect iridescent virus, insectvirus, iridovirus, Japanese B virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, JCvirus, Junin virus, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, Kemerovovirus, Kilham's rat virus, Klamath virus, Kolongo virus, Koreanhemorrhagic fever virus, kumba virus, Kysanur forest disease virus,Kyzylagach virus, La Crosse virus, lactic dehydrogenase elevating virus,lactic dehydrogenase virus, Lagos bat virus, Langur virus, lapineparvovirus, Lassa fever virus, Lassa virus, latent rat virus, LCM virus,Leaky virus, Lentivirus, Leporipoxvirus, leukemia virus, leukovirus,lumpy skin disease virus, lymphadenopathy associated virus,Lymphocryptovirus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus,lymphoproliferative virus group, Machupo virus, mad itch virus,mammalian type B oncovirus group, mammalian type B retroviruses,mammalian type C retrovirus group, mammalian type D retroviruses,mammary tumor virus, Mapuera virus, Marburg virus, Marburg-like virus,Mason Pfizer monkey virus, Mastadenovirus, Mayaro virus, ME virus,measles virus, Menangle virus, Mengo virus, Mengovirus, Middelburgvirus, milkers nodule virus, mink enteritis virus, minute virus of mice,MLV related virus, MM virus, Mokola virus, Molluscipoxvirus, Molluscumcontagiosum virus, monkey B virus, monkeypox virus, Mononegavirales,Morbillivirus, Mount Elgon bat virus, mouse cytomegalovirus, mouseencephalomyelitis virus, mouse hepatitis virus, mouse K virus, mouseleukemia virus, mouse mammary tumor virus, mouse minute virus, mousepneumonia virus, mouse poliomyelitis virus, mouse polyomavirus, mousesarcoma virus, mousepox virus, Mozambique virus, Mucambo virus, mucosaldisease virus, mumps virus, murid betaherpesvirus 1, muridcytomegalovirus 2, murine cytomegalovirus group, murineencephalomyelitis virus, murine hepatitis virus, murine leukemia virus,murine nodule inducing virus, murine polyomavirus, murine sarcoma virus,Muromegalovirus, Murray Valley encephalitis virus, myxoma virus,Myxovirus, Myxovirus multiforme, Myxovirus parotitidis, Nairobi sheepdisease virus, Nairovirus, Nanirnavirus, Nariva virus, Ndumo virus,Neethling virus, Nelson Bay virus, neurotropic virus, New WorldArenavirus, newborn pneumonitis virus, Newcastle disease virus, Nipahvirus, noncytopathogenic virus, Norwalk virus, nuclear polyhedrosisvirus (NPV), nipple neck virus, O'nyong'nyong virus, Ockelbo virus,oncogenic virus, oncogenic viruslike particle, oncornavirus, Orbivirus,Orf virus, Oropouche virus, Orthohepadnavirus, Orthomyxovirus,Orthopoxvirus, Orthoreovirus, Orungo, ovine papillomavirus, ovinecatarrhal fever virus, owl monkey herpesvirus, Palyam virus,Papillomavirus, Papillomavirus sylvilagi, Papovavirus, parainfluenzavirus, parainfluenza virus type 1, parainfluenza virus type 2,parainfluenza virus type 3, parainfluenza virus type 4, Paramyxovirus,Parapoxvirus, paravaccinia virus, Parvovirus, Parvovirus B19, parvovirusgroup, Pestivirus, Phlebovirus, phocine distemper virus, Picodnavirus,Picornavirus, pig cytomegalovirus—pigeonpox virus, Piry virus, Pixunavirus, pneumonia virus of mice, Pneumovirus, poliomyelitis virus,poliovirus, Polydnavirus, polyhedral virus, polyoma virus, Polyomavirus,Polyomavirus bovis, Polyomavirus cercopitheci, Polyomavirus hominis 2,Polyomavirus maccacae 1, Polyomavirus muris 1, Polyomavirus muris 2,Polyomavirus papionis 1, Polyomavirus papionis 2, Polyomavirussylvilagi, Pongine herpesvirus 1, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus,porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus, porcine parvovirus,porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus, porcine type C virus, poxvirus, poxvirus, poxvirus variolae, Prospect Hill virus, Provirus,pseudocowpox virus, pseudorabies virus, psittacinepox virus, quailpoxvirus, rabbit fibroma virus, rabbit kidney vaculolating virus, rabbitpapillomavirus, rabies virus, raccoon parvovirus, raccoonpox virus,Ranikhet virus, rat cytomegalovirus, rat parvovirus, rat virus,Rauscher's virus, recombinant vaccinia virus, recombinant virus,reovirus, reovirus 1, reovirus 2, reovirus 3, reptilian type C virus,respiratory infection virus, respiratory syncytial virus, respiratoryvirus, reticuloendotheliosis virus, Rhabdovirus, Rhabdovirus carpia,Rhadinovirus, Rhinovirus, Rhizidiovirus, Rift Valley fever virus,Riley's virus, rinderpest virus, RNA tumor virus, Ross River virus,Rotavirus, rougeole virus, Rous sarcoma virus, rubella virus, rubeolavirus, Rubivirus, Russian autumn encephalitis virus, SA 11 simian virus,SA2 virus, Sabia virus, Sagiyama virus, Saimirine herpesvirus 1,salivary gland virus, sandfly fever virus group, Sandjimba virus, SARSvirus, SDAV (sialodacryoadenitis virus), sealpox virus, Semliki ForestVirus, Seoul virus, sheeppox virus, Shope fibroma virus, Shope papillomavirus, simian foamy virus, simian hepatitis A virus, simian humanimmunodeficiency virus, simian immunodeficiency virus, simianparainfluenza virus, simian T cell lymphotrophic virus, simian virus,simian virus 40, Simplexvirus, Sin Nombre virus, Sindbis virus, smallpoxvirus, South American hemorrhagic fever viruses, sparrowpox virus,Spumavirus, squirrel fibroma virus, squirrel monkey retrovirus, SSV 1virus group, STLV (simian T lymphotropic virus) type I, STLV (simian Tlymphotropic virus) type II, STLV (simian T lymphotropic virus) typeIII, stomatitis papulosa virus, submaxillary virus, suidalphaherpesvirus 1, suid herpesvirus 2, Suipoxvirus, swamp fever virus,swinepox virus, Swiss mouse leukemia virus, TAC virus, Tacaribe complexvirus, Tacaribe virus, Tanapox virus, Taterapox virus, Tench reovirus,Theiler's encephalomyelitis virus, Theiler's virus, Thogoto virus,Thottapalayam virus, Tick borne encephalitis virus, Tioman virus,Togavirus, Torovirus, tumor virus, Tupaia virus, turkey rhinotracheitisvirus, turkeypox virus, type C retroviruses, type D oncovirus, type Dretrovirus group, ulcerative disease rhabdovirus, Una virus, Uukuniemivirus group, vaccinia virus, vacuolating virus, varicella zoster virus,Varicellovirus, Varicola virus, variola major virus, variola virus,Vasin Gishu disease virus, VEE virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitisvirus, Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus, Venezuelan hemorrhagicfever virus, vesicular stomatitis virus, Vesiculovirus, Vilyuisk virus,viper retrovirus, viral haemorrhagic septicemia virus, Visna Maedivirus, Visna virus, volepox virus, VSV (vesicular stomatitis virus),Wallal virus, Warrego virus, wart virus, WEE virus, West Nile virus,western equine encephalitis virus, western equine encephalomyelitisvirus, Whataroa virus, Winter Vomiting Virus, woodchuck hepatitis Bvirus, woolly monkey sarcoma virus, wound tumor virus, WRSV virus, Yabamonkey tumor virus, Yaba virus, Yatapoxvirus, yellow fever virus, or theYug Bogdanovac virus.

In one embodiment, the viral antigen is a hepatitis C virus protein orprotein fragment, a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protein orprotein fragment, an influenza virus protein or protein fragment, or aherpes simplex visus protein or protein fragment (e.g., an hepatitis Cvirus E2, HIV env, HIV gag, HIV nef, HIV tat, HIV pol, influenza virushemaglutinin (HA), influenza virus neuraminidase (NA), influenza virusmatrix, herpes simplex virus glycoprotein D, or herpes simplex virusglycoprotein B protein or protein fragment.

5. Bacterial Antigens

In one embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence that encodes a bacterial antigen or a fragment thereof fused toan immune cell product, e.g., MIP-3α or a fragment or mimic thereof. Inone embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence that encodes a bacterial antigen or a fragment thereof fused toa ligand for a receptor on a dendritic cell, e.g., MIP-3α or a fragmentor mimic thereof. In one embodiment, the bacterium is Acetobacteraurantius, Acinetobacter baumannii, Actinomyces israelii, Agrobacteriumradiobacter, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Azorhizobium caulinodans,Azotobacter vinelandii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bacillus anthracis,Bacillus brevis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus fusiformis, Bacilluslicheniformis, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus mycoides, Bacillusstearothermophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroidesgingivalis, Bacteroides melaninogenicus (Prevotella melaninogenica),Bartonella henselae, Bartonella quintana, Bordetella bronchiseptica,Bordetella pertussis, Borrelia burgdorferi, Brucella abortus, Brucellamelitensis, Brucella suis, Burkholderia, Burkholderia mallei,Burkholderia pseudomallei, Burkholderia cepacia, Calymmatobacteriumgranulomatis, Campylobacter coli, Campylobacter fetus, Campylobacterjejuni, Campylobacter pylori, Chlamydia trachomatis, Chlamydophilapneumoniae (Chlamydia pneumoniae), Chlamydophila psittaci (Chlamydiapsittaci), Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium difficile, Clostridiumperfringens (previously called Clostridium welchii), Clostridium tetani,Corynebacterium diphtheria, Corynebacterium fusiforme, Coxiellaburnetii, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterococcusavium, Enterococcus durans, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium,Enterococcus galllinarum, Enterococcus maloratus, Escherichia coli,Francisella tularensis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Gardnerella vaginalis,Haemophilus ducreyi, Haemophilus influenza, Haemophilus parainfluenzae,Haemophilus pertussis, Haemophilus vaginalis, Helicobacter pylori,Klebsiella pneumonia, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei,Lactococcus lactis, Legionella pneumophila, Listeria monocytogenes,Methanobacterium extroquens, Microbacterium multiforme, Micrococcusluteus, Moraxella catarrhalis, Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium bovis,Mycobacterium diphtheria, Mycobacterium intracellulare, Mycobacteriumleprae, Mycobacterium lepraemurium, Mycobacterium phlei, Mycobacteriumsmegmatis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycoplasma fermentans, Mycoplasmagenitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma penetrans, Mycoplasmapneumonia, Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Neisseriameningitides, Pasteurella multocida, Pasteurella tularensis,Peptostreptococcus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Rhizobium radiobacter, Rickettsia prowazekii, Rickettsia psittaci,Rickettsia Quintana, Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia trachomae,Rochalimaea henselae, Rochalimaea quintana, Rothia dentocariosa,Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium,Serratia marcescens, Shigella dysenteriae, Staphylococcus aureus,Staphylococcus epidermidis, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Streptococcusagalactiae, Streptococcus avium, Streptococcus bovis, Streptococcuscricetus, Streptococcus faceium, Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcusferns, Streptococcus gallinarum, Streptococcus lactis, Streptococcusmitior, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus oralis,Streptococcus pneumonia, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus rattus,Streptococcus salivarius, Streptococcus sanguis, Streptococcus sobrinus,Treponema pallidum, Treponema denticola, Vibrio cholera, Vibrio comma,Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, Yersinia enterocolitica,Yersinia pestis, or Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.

6. Fungal Antigens

In one embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence that encodes a fungal antigen or a fragment thereof fused to animmune cell product, e.g., MIP-3α or a fragment or mimic thereof. In oneembodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising a sequencethat encodes a fungal antigen or a fragment thereof fused to a ligandfor a receptor on a dendritic cell, e.g., MIP-3α or a fragment or mimicthereof. In one embodiment, the fungi is Absidia corymbifera,Ajellomyces capsulatus, Ajellomyces dermatitidis, Arthroderma benhamiae,Arthroderma fulvum, Arthroderma gypseum, Arthroderma incurvatum,Arthroderma otae, Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii, Aspergillus flavus,Aspergillus fumigates, Aspergillus niger, Blastomyces dermatitidis,Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida guilliermondii, Candidakrusei, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, Candida pelliculosa,Cladophialophora carrionii, Coccidioides immitis, Cryptococcusneoformans, Cunninghamella sp., Epidermophyton floccosum, Exophialadermatitidis, Filobasidiella neoformans, Fonsecaea pedrosoi, Fusariumsolani, Geotrichum candidum, Histoplasma capsulatum, Hortaea werneckii,Issatschenkia orientalis, Madurella grisae, Malassezia furfur,Malassezia globosa, Malassezia obtuse, Malassezia pachydermatis,Malassezia restricta, Malassezia slooffiae, Malassezia sympodialis,Microsporum canis, Microsporum fulvum, Microsporum gypseum, Mucorcircinelloides, Nectria haematococca, Paecilomyces variotii,Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, Penicillium marneffei, Pichia anomala,Pichia guilliermondii, Pneumocystis carinii, Pseudallescheria boydii,Rhizopus oryzae, Rhodotorula rubra, Scedosporium apiospermum,Schizophyllum commune, Sporothrix schenckii, Trichophytonmentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton verrucosum,Trichophyton violaceum, Trichosporon asahii, Trichosporon cutaneum,Trichosporon inkin, or Trichosporon mucoides.

7. Prion Antigen

In one embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is provided comprising asequence that encodes a prion disease antigen or a fragment thereoffused to an immune cell product, e.g., MIP-3α or a fragment or mimicthereof. In one embodiment, a nucleic acid sequence is providedcomprising a sequence that encodes a prion disease antigen or a fragmentthereof fused to a ligand for a receptor on a dendritic cell, e.g.,MIP-3α or a fragment or mimic thereof. In one embodiment, the priondisease is Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), Variant Creutzfeldt-JakobDisease (vCJD), Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker Syndrome, Fatal FamilialInsomnia, or Kuru.

8. Epitope Types

In one embodiment, the antigen is a MHC Class I epitope, a MHC Class IIepitope, or a B cell epitope. A T cell epitope presented by MHC Class Imolecules can be a peptide of approximately 8 to 11 amino acids. A Tcell epitope presented by MHC Class II molecules can be longer than aMHC Class I molecule. A T cell epitope (MHC Class I or MHC Class II)web-based prediction tool is available at, e.g.,http://tools.immuneepitope.org/main/html/tcell_tools.html. A web based Bcell epitope prediction tool is available at, e.g.,http://tools.immuneepitope.org/main/html/bcell_tools.html

C. Nucleic Acid Sequence Properties

In one embodiment, the nucleic acid sequence is DNA, cDNA, RNA, mRNA,siRNA, miRNA, chromosomal DNA, genomic DNA, mitochondrial DNA, cell-freeDNA, recombinant DNA, a plasmid, linear DNA, cosmid, shuttle plasmid,virus, retrovirus, and/or artificial chromosome. In one embodiment, aplasmid is provided comprising a sequence that encodes an antigen fusedto an immune cell product, e.g., MIP-3α. In one embodiment, a plasmid isprovided comprising a sequence that encodes an antigen fused to amolecule that binds a dendritic cell, e.g., MIP-3α. In one embodiment, aplasmid is provided comprising a sequence that encodes an antigen fusedto a ligand for a receptor on a dendritic cell, e.g., MIP-3α or afragment or mimic thereof.

In one embodiment, the plasmid can replicate in a mammalian cell. Inanother embodiment the plasmid cannot replicate in a mammalian cell.

The plasmid can comprise a viral promoter. The promoter can be, e.g.,SV40 enhancer and early promoter region or cytomegalovirus (CMV)immediate/early promoter.

The plasmid can comprise intron A, which can improve mRNA stability.

The plasmid can comprise a polyadenylation or transcriptionaltermination signal. For example, the polyadenylation signal can be thebovine growth hormone polyadenylation signal, rabbit beta-globulinpolyadenylation signal, or late SV40 polyadenylation signal.

In one embodiment, the nucleic acid sequence is codon optimized forexpression in a eukaryotic cell.

The plasmid can comprise an antibiotic resistance gene to facilitatereplication of the plasmid in a microorganism, e.g., bacteria. Theantibiotic resistance gene can permit growth of a microorganismharboring a plasmid with the antibiotic resistance gene in mediumcontaining, e.g., ampicillin, kanamycin, or chloramphenicol.

In one embodiment, the nucleic acid sequence comprises a leadersequence. The leader sequence can be, for example, a tissue plasminogenactivator leader sequence, an IgG light chain leader sequence, an IL-2leader sequence, an insulin leader sequence, an albumin leader sequence,a lysozyme leader sequence, or a trypsinogen-2 leader sequence.

In one embodiment, the nucleic acid sequence comprises an N-terminalsecretion sequence.

In one embodiment, the nucleic acid sequence comprises a sequencebetween the sequence encoding the antigen and the sequence encoding theimmune cell product (i.e. spacer sequence). In another embodiment, thenucleic acid sequence comprises sequence between the sequence encodingthe antigen and the sequence encoding a molecule that binds a dendriticcell (i.e. spacer sequence). In one embodiment, the spacer sequence isabout 3 to 300 nucleotides, 3 to 240 nucleotides, 3 to 210 nucleotides,3 to 180 nucleotides, 3 to 150 nucleotides, 3 to 120 nucleotides, 3 to90 nucleotides, 3 to 60 nucleotides, or 3 to 36 nucleotides in length.In one embodiment spacer sequence encodes the amino acid sequence:EFNDAQAPKSGS (SEQ ID NO: 1). In one embodiment, the spacer sequenceencodes an amino acid sequence that comprises at least about 10, 15, 20,25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, or 95 percentserine, glycine, and/or alanine. In one embodiment, the spacer sequenceencodes at least 1, 2, or 3 prolines. In another embodiment, the spacersequence encodes at least about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30,31, 32, 33, 35, 35 36, 37, 38, 39, or 40 amino acids. In anotherembodiment, the spacer sequence encodes about 1-40, 1-30, 1-20, 1-15,1-10, 1-5, 5-40, 5-30, 5-20, or 5-15 amino acids. In one embodiment, thespacer sequence encodes the amino acid sequence (GGGS)₂GS (SEQ ID NO:2), (GGGS)₃GS (SEQ ID NO: 3), (GGGS)₄GS (SEQ ID NO: 4), (GGGS)₅GS (SEQID NO: 5), or (GGGS)₆GS (SEQ ID NO: 6). In one embodiment, the spacersequence encodes the amino acid sequence GPGPG (SEQ ID NO: 7). Thespacer sequence can allow for proper folding of the antigen and theimmune cell product, or the antigen and a molecule that binds adendritic cell.

In one, the nucleic acid sequence further expresses a T cell helperepitope. In one embodiment, the T cell helper epitope is the pan DRepitope (PADRE).

The sequence encoding the antigen can be 5′ of the sequence encoding theimmune cell product. The sequence encoding the antigen can be 3′ of thesequence encoding the immune cell product.

In another embodiment, the nucleic acid sequence comprises sequenceencoding an antigen fused to an immune cell product, wherein the antigenfused to the immune cell product is also fused to an epitope tag. In oneembodiment, the epitope tag is a Myc-tag, isopegtag, BCCP,calmodulin-tag, FLAG-tag, HA-tag, His-tag (e.g., 6His-tag (SEQ ID NO:8)), maltose binding protein-tag, Nus-tag,glutathione-S-transferase-(GST)-tag, green fluorescentprotein-(GFP)-tag, thioredoxin-tag, S-tag, Softag-1, Softag 3,Strep-tag, SBP-tag, Ty tag, or V5-tag. The epitope tag can be a tandemtag. The epitope tag can comprise multiple copies of an epitope tag(e.g., 3xMyc-tag, 13xMyc-tag, 3xFLAG-tag, 3xHA-tag). The epitope tag canbe used to evaluate protein secretion and to facilitate proteinpurification.

The sequence encoding the epitope tag can be 5′ of the sequence encodingthe antigen. The sequence encoding the epitope tag can be 3′ of thesequence encoding the antigen. The antigen-immune cell product protein,or an antigen fused to a molecule that binds a dendritic cell protein,expressed from a nucleic acid sequence, can have an epitope tag at theN-terminus, at the C-terminus, at the N-terminus and the C-terminus,internal, at the N-terminus and internal, at the C-terminus andinternal, or at the N-terminus, internal, and at the C-terminus.

In one embodiment, a plasmid is provided. In one embodiment, DNA for atissue plasminogen activator leader sequence and the DNA for macrophageinflammatory protein 3-alpha (CCL20) fused to a codon optimized DNA,encoding portions of the P. falciparum circumsporozoite protein isinserted into plasmid VR1012. In one embodiment, a VR1012 plasmid issynthesized to include restriction sites that permit insertion ofsequences into the plasmid.

The nucleic acid sequence can comprises one or more base changes (e.g.,insertion, deletion, mutation) in an antigen sequence or immune cellproduct sequence relative to wild-type. The nucleic acid sequence cancomprise one or more base changes in an antigen sequence or moleculethat binds a dendritic cell. Changes to nucleic acid sequence can bemade, e.g., with the QuikChange site-directed mutagenesis kit.

III. Polypeptides

In one embodiment, a polypeptide is provided comprising an antigen or afragment thereof fused to an immune cell product, e.g., MIP-3α. Inanother embodiment, a polypeptide is provided comprising an antigen or afragment thereof fused to a molecule that binds a dendritic cell, e.g.,MIP-3α. The polypeptide can be any polypeptide that can be expressedfrom a nucleic acid sequence described herein. In one embodiment thepolypeptide is provided in a pharmaceutical composition for use in thetreatment or prevention of a disease disclosed herein. In one embodimentthe polypeptide is a vaccine. Polypeptide vaccines are described, e.g.,in U.S. Patent Application Nos. 20090060915 and 20110027349, which areherein incorporated by reference in their entireties.

The polypeptide can be synthesized in, for example, a bacteria, yeast,insect cell, or mammalian cell. The bacteria can be, e.g., E. coli. TheE. coli strain can be BL21. The expression system can make use of aT7lac promoter. The polypeptide can be expressed from, e.g., a pETvector or a pBAD vector. The yeast can be, e.g., Saccharomycescerevisiae or Pichia pastoris. The insect cell can be SF-9 or SF-21ovarian cell lines from Spodoptera frugiperda, or High-Five cells (eggcells from Trichoplusia ni). A baculovirus can be used to express thepolypeptide in an insect cell. The polypeptide can be produced byfermentation.

The polypeptide can be synthesized in a cell free extract. A cell freeexpression system can couple transcription and translation. The cellfree system can be, e.g., the Expressway™ Cell-Free Expression Systemfrom Invitrogen.

The polypeptide can be purified by conventional chromatography. Thepolypeptide can comprise an epitope tag, e.g., and epitope tag describedherein, that can be used to facilitate purification of the polypeptide.Methods of purifying proteins are described, e.g., in Current Protocolsin Protein Science, Print ISSN: 1934-3655.

Amino acids in a polypeptide can be in the L-isomeric form. TheD-isomeric form of an amino acid can be substituted for the L-amino acidresidue. NH₂ refers to the free amino group present at the aminoterminus of a polypeptide, and COOH refers to the free carboxyl grouppresent at the carboxyl terminus of a polypeptide. The amino acidsherein can be represented by their standard 1-letter code or 3-lettercode. An amino acid residue represented by “X” or “Xxx” refers to anyone of the naturally occurring or non-naturally occurring amino acidresidues known in the art or to a modification of a nearby residue. Inkeeping with standard protein nomenclature described in J. Biol. Chem.,1969, 247:3552-59, and adopted at 37 C.F.R. Sections 1.821-2461.822, allamino acid residue sequences represented herein by formulae have a leftto right orientation in the conventional direction of amino-terminus tocarboxyl-terminus. In addition, the phrase “amino acid residue” isbroadly defined to include modified and unusual amino acids, such asthose referred to in 37 C.F.R. Sections 1.821-1.822, and incorporatedherein by reference. In a peptide or polypeptide, suitable conservativesubstitutions of amino acids are known to those of skill in this art andcan be made generally without altering the biological activity of theresulting molecule. Watson et al., book (1987, Molecular Biology of theGene, 4th Edition, The Benjamin Cummings Pub. Co., p. 224), isincorporated herein by reference. Amino acid substitutions can be ofsingle residues; such substitutions are preferably made with those setforth in Table I., but can be of multiple residues, either clustered ordispersed. An amino acid can be replaced with a different naturallyoccurring or a non-conventional amino acid residue. Such substitutionscan be classified as “conservative,” in which case an amino acid residuecontained in a polypeptide is replaced with another naturally occurringamino acid of similar character either in relation to polarity, sidechain functionality or size. Additions encompass the addition of one ormore naturally occurring or non-conventional amino acid residues.Deletion encompasses the deletion of one or more amino acid residues.

TABLE I Conservative amino acid substitution Original residueConservative substitution(s) Ala Gly; Ser Arg Lys Asn Gln; His Cys SerGln Asn Glu Asp Gly Ala; Pro His Asn; Gln Ile Leu; Val Leu Ile; Val LysArg; Gln; Glu Met Leu; Tyr, Ile Phe Met; Leu; Tyr Ser Thr Thr Ser TrpTyr Tyr Trp; Phe Val Ile; Leu

Substitutions can be “non-conservative,” in which an amino acid residuewhich is present in a peptide is substituted with an amino acid havingdifferent properties, such as naturally-occurring amino acid from adifferent group (e.g., substituting a charged or hydrophobic amino acidwith alanine), or alternatively, in which a naturally-occurring aminoacid is substituted with a non-conventional amino acid.

The term “analog(s)” as used herein can refer to a composition thatretains the same structure or function (e.g., binding to a receptor) asa polypeptide or nucleic acid sequence herein, such as the same genefrom a different organism. Examples of analogs include mimetics orpeptidomimetics, peptide, nucleic acids, small and large organic orinorganic compounds, as well as derivatives and variants of apolypeptide or nucleic acid herein. Such derivatives and variants referto peptides and nucleic acids that differ from the naturally occurringpolypeptides and nucleic acids by one or more amino acid or nucleic aciddeletions, additions, substitutions or side-chain modifications. In someembodiments, a peptide analog is a peptide in which one or more of theamino acids has undergone side-chain modifications. Examples ofside-chain modifications contemplated by the present invention includemodifications of amino groups such as by reductive alkylation byreaction with an aldehyde followed by reduction with NaBH₄; amidinationwith methylacetimidate; acylation with acetic anhydride; carbamoylationof amino groups with cyanate; trinitrobenzylation of amino groups with2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS); acylation of amino groupswith succinic anhydride and tetrahydrophthalic anhydride; andpyridoxylation of lysine with pyridoxal-5-phosphate followed byreduction with NaBH₄. In some embodiments, a peptide analog is one inwhich the guanidine group of arginine residue(s) is modified by theformation of heterocyclic condensation products with reagents such as2,3-butanedione, phenylglyoxal and glyoxal; carboxyl group(s) ismodified by carbodiimide activation via O-acylisourea formation followedby subsequent derivitisation, for example, to a corresponding amide;sulphydryl group(s) can be modified by methods such ascarboxymethylation with iodoacetic acid or iodoacetamide; performic acidoxidation to cysteic acid; formation of a mixed disulphides with otherthiol compounds; reaction with maleimide, maleic anhydride or othersubstituted maleimide; formation of mercurial derivatives using4-chloromercuribenzoate, 4-chloromercuriphenylsulphonic acid,phenylmercury chloride, 2-chloromercuri-4-nitrophenol and othermercurials; carbamoylation with cyanate at alkaline pH. In any of theanalogs herein, any modification of cysteine residues can or can notaffect the ability of the peptide to form disulphide bonds. In someembodiments, a peptide analog comprises tryptophan residue(s) that aremodified by, for example, by oxidation with N-bromosuccinimide oralkylation of the indole ring with 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide orsulphenyl halides; tyrosine residues altered by nitration withtetranitromethane to form a 3-nitrotyrosine derivative; imidazolering(s) of a histidine residue modification accomplished by alkylationwith iodoacetic acid derivatives or N-carbethoxylation withdiethylpyrocarbonate; proline residue(s) modified by, for example,hydroxylation in the 4-position; glycosylation variants from acompletely unglycosylated molecule to a modified glycosylated molecule;and altered glycosylation patterns as a result from expression ofrecombinant molecules in different host cells.

Provided in Table 2 are nucleic acid sequences or protein sequences forimmune cell products and/or molecules that can target (e.g., bind) adendritic cell.

TABLE 2 Sequences Antigen label Nucleic acid sequence or proteinsequence DEFB4A mRNA agactcagct cctggtgaag ctcccagcca tcagccatgagggtcttgta tctcctcttc [Homo sapiens] tcgttcctct tcatattcct gatgcctcttccaggtgttt ttggtggtat aggcgatcct NM_004942.2 gttacctgcc ttaagagtggagccatatgt catccagtct tttgccctag aaggtataaa caaattggca cctgtggtctccctggaaca aaatgctgca aaaagccatg aggaggccaa gaagctgctg tggctgatgcggattcagaa agggctccct catcagagac gtgcgacatg taaaccaaat taaactatggtgtccaaaga tacgca (SEQ ID NO: 9) DEFB4A protein mrvlyllfsf lfiflmplpgvfggigdpvt clksgaichp vfcprrykqi gtcglpgtkc [Homo sapiens] ckkp (SEQ IDNO: 10) ACCESSION O15263 Homo sapiens beta- caaatccata gggagctctgccttaccatt gggttcctaa ttaactgagt gagtgggtgt defensin 3 mRNA, gttctgcatggtgagaggca ttggaatgat gcatcagaaa acatgtcata atgtcatcac complete cds.tgtaatatga caagaattgc agctgtggct ggaaccttta taaagtgacc aagcacacctACCESSION tttcatccag tctcagcgtg gggtgaagcc tagcagctat gaggatccattatcttctgt AF301470.1 ttgctttgct cttcctgttt ttggtgcctg ttccaggtcatggaggaatc ataaacacat tacagaaata ttattgcaga gtcagaggcg gccggtgtgctgtgctcagc tgccttccaa aggaggaaca gatcggcaag tgctcgacgc gtggccgaaaatgctgccga agaaagaaat aaaaaccctg aaacatg (SEQ ID NO: 11) Beta-Defensin 3mrihyllfal lflflvpvpg hggiintlqk yycrvrggrc avlsclpkee qigkcstrgrkccrrkk protein (SEQ ID NO: 12) [Homo sapiens] ACCESSION AAG22030.1CCL20 (MIP-3α) agaatataac agcactccca aagaactggg tactcaacac tgagcagatctgttctttga mRNA Homo gctaaaaacc atgtgctgta ccaagagttt gctcctggctgctttgatgt cagtgctgct sapiens chemokine actccacctc tgcggcgaat cagaagcagcaagcaacttt gactgctgtc ttggatacac (C-C motif) ligand agaccgtattcttcatccta aatttattgt gggcttcaca cggcagctgg ccaatgaagg 20 (CCL20),ctgtgacatc aatgctatca tctttcacac aaagaaaaag ttgtctgtgt gcgcaaatcctranscript aaaacagact tgggtgaaat atattgtgcg tctcctcagt aaaaaagtcaagaacatgta variant 1 aaaactgtgg cttttctgga atggaattgg acatagcccaagaacagaaa gaaccttgct Accession number: ggggttggag gtttcacttg cacatcatggagggtttagt gcttatctaa tttgtgcctc NM_004591 actggacttg tccaattaatgaagttgatt catattgcat catagtttgc tttgtttaag catcacatta aagttaaactgtattttatg ttatttatag ctgtaggttt tctgtgttta gctatttaat actaattttccataagctat tttggtttag tgcaaagtat aaaattatat ttggggggga ataagattatatggactttc ttgcaagcaa caagctattt tttaaaaaaa actatttaac attcttttgtttatattgtt ttgtctccta aattgttgta attgcattat aaaataagaa aaatattaataagacaaata ttgaaaataa agaaacaaaa agttcttctg ttaaaaaaaa a (SEQ ID NO: 13)CCL20 protein mcctksllla almsvlllhl cgeseaasnf dcclgytdri lhpkfivgftrqlanegcdi human naiifhtkkk lsvcanpkqt wvkyivrlls kkvknm (SEQ ID NO: 14)Accession number: P78556 Homo sapiens agaatataac agcactccca aagaactgggtactcaacac tgagcagatc tgttctttga chemokine (C-C gctaaaaacc atgtgctgtaccaagagttt gctcctggct gattgatgt cagtgctgct motif) ligand 20 actccacctctgcggcgaat cagaagcaag caactttgac tgctgtcttg gatacacaga (CCL20),transcript ccgtattctt catcctaaat ttattgtggg cttcacacgg cagctggccaatgaaggctg variant 2, mRNA. tgacatcaat gctatcatct ttcacacaaa gaaaaagttgtctgtgtgcg caaatccaaa ACCESSION acagacttgg gtgaaatata ttgtgcgtctcctcagtaaa aaagtcaaga acatgtaaaa NM_001130046 actgtggctt ttctggaatggaattggaca tagcccaaga acagaaagaa ccttgctggg gttggaggtt tcacttgcacatcatggagg gtttagtgct tatctaattt gtgcctcact ggacttgtcc aattaatgaagttgattcat attgcatcat agtttgcttt gtttaagcat cacattaaag ttaaactgtattttatgtta tttatagctg taggttttct gtgtttagct atttaatact aattttccataagctatttt ggtttagtgc aaagtataaa attatatttg ggggggaata agattatatggactttcttg caagcaacaa gctatttttt aaaaaaaact atttaacatt cttttgtttatattgttttg tctcctaaat tgttgtaatt gcattataaa ataagaaaaa tattaataagacaaatattg aaaataaaga aacaaaaagt tatctgtta aaaaaaaa (SEQ ID NO: 15) Musmusculus gagcactcgc agggcactgg gtacccagca ctgagtacat caactcctggagctgagaat chemokine (C-C ggcctgcggt ggcaagcgtc tgctcttcct tgctttggcatgggtactgc tggctcacct motif) ligand 20 ctgcagccag gcagaagcag caagcaactacgactgttgc ctctcgtaca tacagacgcc (Ccl20), transcript tcttccttccagagctattg tgggtttcac aagacagatg gccgatgaag cttgtgacat variant 1, mRNA.taatgctatc atctttcaca cgaagaaaag aaaatctgtg tgcgctgatc caaagcagaaACCESSION ctgggtgaaa agggctgtga acctcctcag cctaagagtc aagaagatgtaaaaaactga NM_016960 tgcttttttg ggatggaatt ggacacagcc caaggaggaaatgatcacag ctggggttga XM_484888 aggcttcacc tgcacatcac tgcacagacctgatttgtgt cccagtggac ttgtccaatg gatgaagttg attcatattg catcatagtgtgtcatattt aagctcacat tagagttaag ttgtatttta tgttatttat agatctgaattttctatgtt tagctattta atgttaattt cccacaatcc atgggggcgc ttagtggaaggattaatatt atgtttaagg gaatagttta tatggacctt tttgtcaaca ataagctattgtaaagatat ttaatgttct gtttatttaa ttgcttctta aattgatatg attttcttataaaacagaaa agaattataa gaatatattg aaaataaaag aattgaaagg taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aa (SEQ ID NO: 16) Musmusculus gagcactcgc agggcactgg gtacccagca ctgagtacat caactcctggagctgagaat chemokine (C-C ggcctgcggt ggcaagcgtc tgctcttcct tgctttggcatgggtactgc tggctcacct motif) ligand 20 ctgcagccag gcagaagcaa gcaactacgactgttgcctc tcgtacatac agacgcctct (Ccl20), transcript tccttccagagctattgtgg gtttcacaag acagatggcc gatgaagctt gtgacattaa variant 2, mRNA.tgctatcatc tttcacacga agaaaagaaa atctgtgtgc gctgatccaa agcagaactgACCESSION ggtgaaaagg gctgtgaacc tcctcagcct aagagtcaag aagatgtaaaaaactgatgc NM_001159738 ttttttggga tggaattgga cacagcccaa ggaggaaatgatcacagctg gggttgaagg cttcacctgc acatcactgc acagacctga tttgtgtcccagtggacttg tccaatggat gaagttgatt catattgcat catagtgtgt catatttaagctcacattag agttaagttg tattttatgt tatttataga tctgaatttt ctatgtttagctatttaatg ttaatttccc acaatccatg ggggcgctta gtggaaggat taatattatgtttaagggaa tagtttatat ggaccttttt gtcaacaata agctattgta aagatatttaatgttctgtt tatttaattg cttcttaaat tgatatgatt ttcttataaa acagaaaagaattataagaa tatattgaaa ataaaagaat tgaaaggtaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaa (SEQ ID NO: 17) CCL20 protein macggkrllflalawvllah lcsqaeaasn ydcclsyiqt plpsraivgf trqmadeacd [Mus musculus]inaiifhtkk rksvcadpkq nwvkravnll slrvkkm (SEQ ID NO: 18) Accessionnumber: O89093 Homo sapiens gctgcagagg attcctgcag aggatcaaga cagcacgtggacctcgcaca gcctctccca chemokine (C-C caggtaccat gaaggtctcc gcggcagccctcgctgtcat cctcattgct actgccctct motif) ligand 5 gcgctcctgc atctgcctccccatattcct cggacaccac accctgctgc tttgcctaca (CCL5), mRNA ttgcccgcccactgccccgt gcccacatca aggagtattt ctacaccagt ggcaagtgct ACCESSIONccaacccagc agtcgtcttt gtcacccgaa agaaccgcca agtgtgtgcc aacccagagaNM_002985 agaaatgggt tcgggagtac atcaactctt tggagatgag ctaggatggagagtccttga acctgaactt acacaaattt gcctgtttct gcttgctctt gtectagatgggaggatc ccctcactat cctaccccac ccgctccttg aagggcccag attctaccacacagcagcag ttacaaaaac cttccccagg ctggacgtgg tggctcacgc ctgtaatcccagcactttgg gaggccaagg tgggtggatc acttgaggtc aggagttcga gaccagcctggccaacatga tgaaacccca tctctactaa aaatacaaaa aattagccgg gcgtggtagcgggcgcctgt agtcccagct actcgggagg ctgaggcagg agaatggcgt gaacccgggaggcggagctt gcagtgagcc gagatcgcgc cactgcactc cagcctgggc gacagagcgagactccgtct caaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaatacaaa aattagccgg gcgtggtggcccacgcctgt aatcccagct actcgggagg ctaaggcagg aaaattgttt gaacccaggaggtggaggct gcagtgagct gagattgtgc cacttcactc cagcctgggt gacaaagtgagactccgtca caacaacaac aacaaaaagc ttccccaact aaagcctaga agagcttctgaggcgctgct ttgtcaaaag gaagtctcta ggttctgagc tctggctttg ccttggctttgccagggctc tgtgaccagg aaggaagtca gcatgcctct agaggcaagg aggggaggaacactgcactc ttaagcttcc gccgtctcaa cccctcacag gagcttactg gcaaacatgaaaaatcggct taccattaaa gttctcaatg caaccataaa aaaaaaa (SEQ ID NO: 19)CCL5_HUMAN mkvsaaalav iliatalcap asaspyssdt tpccfayiar plprahikeyfytsgkcsnp Protein avvfvtrknr qvcanpekkw vreyinslem s (SEQ ID NO: 20)[Homo sapiens] ACCESSION P13501 Mus musculus cttgcagagg actctgagacagcacatgca tctcccacag cctctgccgc gggtaccatg chemokine (C-C aagatctctgcagctgccct caccatcatc ctcactgcag ccgccctctg cacccccgca motif) ligand 5cctgcctcac catatggctc ggacaccact ccctgctgct ttgcctacct ctccctcgcg(Ccl5), mRNA. ctgcctcgtg cccacgtcaa ggagtatttc tacaccagca gcaagtgctccaatcttgca ACCESSION gtcgtgtttg tcactcgaag gaaccgccaa gtgtgtgccaacccagagaa gaagtgggtt NM_013653 caagaataca tcaactattt ggagatgagctaggatagag ggtttcttga ttctgaccct gtatagcttc cctgtcattg cttgctctagtcctagccag cttggggatg ccactcagta atcccctact cccactcggt cctgggaaaatgggcatctc agctgctccg aggctctgca cagcaaaccc aagaaatcag catttcattaaaatttcaga tgcaaggaca aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (SEQ ID NO: 21) Ccl5 [Mus mkisaaalti iltaaalctp apaspygsdttpccfaylsl alprahvkey fytsskcsnl musculus] avvfvtrrnr qvcanpekkwvqeyinylem s (SEQ ID NO: 22) ACCESSION CAJ18523 Homo sapiens agctggtttcagacttcaga aggacacggg cagcagacag tggtcagtcc tttcttggct chemokine (C-Cctgctgacac tcgagcccac attccgtcac ctgctcagaa tcatgcaggt ctccactgct motif)ligand 3 gcccttgctg tcctcctctg caccatggct ctctgcaacc agttctctgcatcacttgct (CCL3), mRNA. gctgacacgc cgaccgcctg ctgcttcagc tacacctcccggcagattcc acagaatttc ACCESSION atagctgact actttgagac gagcagccagtgctccaagc ccggtgtcat cttcctaacc NM_002983 aagcgaagcc ggcaggtctgtgctgacccc agtgaggagt gggtccagaa atatgtcagc gacctggagc tgagtgcctgaggggtccag aagcttcgag gcccagcgac ctcggtgggc ccagtgggga ggagcaggagcctgagcctt gggaacatgc gtgtgacctc cacagctacc tcttctatgg actggttgttgccaaacagc cacactgtgg gactatctt aacttaaatt ttaatttatt tatactatttagtttttgta atttattttc gatttcacag tgtgtttgtg attgtttgct ctgagagttcccctgtcccc tcccccttcc ctcacaccgc gtctggtgac aaccgagtgg ctgtcatcagcctgtgtagg cagtcatggc accaaagcca ccagactgac aaatgtgtat cggatgcttttgttcagggc tgtgatcggc ctggggaaat aataaagatg ctcttttaaa aggtaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaa (SEQ ID NO: 23) Chemokine (C-C mqvstaalav llctmalcnqfsaslaadtp taccfsytsr qipqnfiady fetssqcskp motif) ligand 3 gvifltkrsrqvcadpseew vqkyvsdlel sa (SEQ ID NO: 24) [Homo sapiens]. ACCESSIONAAH71834 Mus musculus gggcatatgg cttcagacac cagaaggata caagcagcagcgagtaccag tcccttttct chemokine (C-C gttctgctga caagctcacc ctctgtcacctgctcaacat catgaaggtc tccaccactg motif) ligand 3 cccttgctgt tcttctctgtaccatgacac tctgcaacca agtatctca gcgccatatg (Ccl3), mRNA. gagctgacaccccgactgcc tgctgcttct cctacagccg gaagattcca cgccaattca ACCESSIONtcgttgacta ttttgaaacc agcagccttt gctcccagcc aggtgtcatt ttcctgactaNM_011337 agagaaaccg gcagatctgc gctgactcca aagagacctg ggtccaagaatacatcactg acctggaact gaatgcctga gagtcttgga ggcagcgagg aaccccccaaacctccatgg gtcccgtgta gagcaggggc ttgagccccg gaacattcct gccacctgcatagctccatc tcctataagc tgtttgctgc caagtagcca catcgaggga ctcttcacttgaaattttat ttaatttaat cctattggtt taatactatt taattttgta atttattttattgtcatact tgtatttgtg actatttatt ctgaaagact tcaggacacg ttcctcaacccccatctccc tcccagttgg tcacactgtt tggtgacagc tattctaggt agacatgatgacaaagtcat gaactgacaa atgtacaata gatgctttgt ttataccaga gaagtaataaatatgccctt taacaagtga aaaaaaaaaa aaaa (SEQ ID NO: 25) C-C motifmkvsttalav llctmtlcnq vfsapygadt ptaccfsysr kiprqfivdy fetsslcsqpchemokine 3 gvifltkrnr qicadsketw vqeyitdlel na (SEQ ID NO: 26) [Musmusculus]. ACCESSION NP_035467 Mus musculus ctctctggag tctgagtgccctttctacca gccatgagga ctctctgctc tctgctgctg defensin beta 2 atatgctgcctccttttctc atataccact ccagctgttg gaagtttaaa aagtattgga (Defb2), mRNAtacgaagcag aacttgacca ctgccacacc aatggagggt actgtgtcag agccatttgtACCESSION cctccttctg ccaggcgtcc tgggagctgt ttcccagaga agaacccctgttgcaagtac NM_010030 atgaaatgat tagaaggaag cacatggaag tcaagtgacagatgtgtaat tgatgtttca ataaa (SEQ ID NO: 27) beta-defensin 2 mrtlcsllliccllfsyttp avgslksigy eaeldhchtn ggycvraicp psarrpgscf precursor [muspeknpcckym k (SEQ ID NO: 28) musculus ACCESSION NP_034160

IV. Formulations, Routes of Administration, and Effective Doses

In another aspect, a pharmaceutical composition is provided comprising anucleic acid sequence comprising a sequence encoding an antigen fused toan immune cell product, and an adjuvant. In another aspect, apharmaceutical composition is provided comprising a nucleic acidsequence comprising a sequence encoding an antigen fused to a moleculethat can bind a dendritic cell, and an adjuvant. In one embodiment, thepharmaceutical composition comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding anantigen fused to MIP-3α, and an adjuvant. In another embodiment, thepharmaceutical composition comprises a nucleic acid sequence comprisinga sequence encoding a parasite antigen fused to an immune cell product,and an adjuvant. In one embodiment, the pharmaceutical compositioncomprises nucleic acid sequence encoding circumsporozoite protein orprotein fragment from P. falciparum fused to MIP-3α, and an adjuvant. Inone embodiment, the pharmaceutical composition comprises nucleic acidsequence encoding circumsporozoite protein or protein fragment from P.falciparum fused to MIP-3α, and Vaxfectin® (Vical Inc., San Diego,Calif.). In other embodiments, a pharmaceutical composition is providedcomprising a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a P. falciparum antigenfused to an immune cell product, e.g., MIP-3α, in combination with otherknown adjuvants.

In another aspect, formulations of a pharmaceutical composition, meansof administration a pharmaceutical composition by different routes, andeffective doses of a pharmaceutical composition are provided herein. Inone embodiment a pharmaceutical composition comprises a pharmaceuticalimmunostimulatory agents described herein, e.g., a nucleic acid sequenceor polypeptide described herein. Such pharmaceutical compositions can beused to prevent, inhibit, reduce the severity of, or treat a condition(e.g., malaria, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, bacterial infection, fungalinfection, viral infection, parasite infection, etc.) as describedherein.

Pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agents (e.g., nucleic acid sequence,polypeptide) described herein can be administered as pharmaceuticalcompositions including those suitable for oral (including buccal andsub-lingual), rectal, nasal, topical, transdermal patch, pulmonary,vaginal, suppository, or parenteral (including intramuscular,intraarterial, intrathecal, intradermal, intraperitoneal, subcutaneousand intravenous) administration or in a form suitable for administrationby aerosolization, inhalation or insufflation. General information ondrug delivery systems can be found in Ansel et al., PharmaceuticalDosage Forms and Drug Delivery Systems (Lippencott Williams & Wilkins,Baltimore Md. (1999). In one embodiment, a pharmaceutical compositioncomprising a pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent is provided byparenteral administration. In one embodiment parenteral administrationcomprises injection.

Liposomes

A pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent can be encapsulated within aliposome using well-known technology. In one embodiment, an adjuvant isa liposome. In another aspect, biodegradable microspheres can also beemployed as carriers a pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent. Suitablebiodegradable microspheres are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos.4,897,268; 5,075,109; 5,928,647; 5,811,128; 5,820,883; 5,853,763;5,814,344 and 5,942,252 which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entireties.

An agent can be administered in liposomes or microspheres (ormicroparticles). Methods for preparing liposomes and microspheres foradministration to a patient are well known to those of skill in the art.U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,734, the contents of which are hereby incorporatedby reference, describes methods for encapsulating biological materialsin liposomes. Essentially, the material can be dissolved in an aqueoussolution, the appropriate phospholipids and lipids added, along withsurfactants if required, and the material dialyzed or sonicated, asnecessary. A review of known methods is provided by G. Gregoriadis,Chapter 14, “Liposomes,” Drug Carriers in Biology and Medicine, pp.2.sup. 87-341 (Academic Press, 1979).

Microspheres formed of polymers or proteins are well known to thoseskilled in the art and can be tailored for passage through thegastrointestinal tract directly into the blood stream. A pharmaceuticalimmunostimulatory agent can be incorporated and the microspheres, orcomposite of microspheres, implanted for slow release over a period oftime ranging from days to months. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos.4,906,474, 4,925,673 and 3,625,214, and Jein, TIPS 19:155-157 (1998),the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentireties.

A liposome can be a particle comprising concentric lipid membranescontaining phospholipids and other lipids in a bilayer configurationseparated by aqueous compartments. Liposomes can be composed ofnaturally derived phospholipids or other surfactants. A liposome canencapsulate aqueous solution inside a hydrophobic membrane.

In one embodiment, the liposome comprises a cationic lipid. A cationiclipid can be an amphiphile that has a positive charge (at physiologicalpH) as measurable by instrumentation utilized at the time of themeasurement. An amphiphile can be a molecule consisting of awater-soluble (hydrophilic) and an organic solvent-soluble (lipophilic)moiety. Where there are fatty acids or alkyl chains present on thecationic lipid, they can be 12-24 carbons in length, containing up to 6unsaturations (double bonds), and linked to the backbone by either acylor ether linkages; there can also only be one fatty acid or alkyl chainlinked to the backbone. Where there is more than one fatty acid or alkylchain linked to the backbone, the fatty acids can be different(asymmetric). Mixed formulations are also possible. In one embodiment,the cationic lipid is GAP-DMORIE, DSTAP, DMTAP, DC-cholesterol, EthylPC, DDAB, dimethyldioctadecyl ammonium bromide;N-[1-(2,3-dioloyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N-trimethyl ammonium methylsulfate;1,2-diacyloxy-3-trimethylammonium propanes, (including but not limitedto, dioleoyl (DOTAP), dilauroyloxy, dimyristoyloxy, dipalmitoyloxy, anddistearoyloxy); N-[1-(2,3-dioleoyloxy)propyl]-N,N-dimethyl amine;1,2-diacyl-3-dimethylammonium propanes, (including but not limited to,dioleoyl (DODAP), dilauroyl. dimyristoyl, dipalmitoyl, and distearoyl);DOTMA, N-[1-[2,3-bis(oleyloxy)]propyl]-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride,(including but not limited to, dioleyl (DOTMA), dilauryl, dimyristyl,dipalmityl, and distearyl); DOGS, dioctadecylamidoglycylspermine;DC-cholesterol,3.beta.-[N—(N′,N′-dimethylaminoethane)carbamoyl]cholesterol; DOSPA,2,3-dioleoyloxy-N-(2-(sperminecarboxamido)-ethyl)-N,N-dimethyl-1-propanam-iniumtrifluoroacetate; 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-ethylphosphocholines(including but not limited to dioleoyl (DOEPC), dilauroyl, dimyristoyl,dipalmitoyl, distearoyl, and palmitoyl-oleoyl); .beta.-alanylcholesterol; CTAB, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide; diC14-amidine,N-t-butyl-N′-tetradecyl-3-tetradecylaminopropionamidine; 14Dea2; TMAG,N-(alpha-trimethylammonioacetyl)didodecyl-D-glutamate chloride;O,O′-ditetradecanoyl-N-(trimethylammonioacetyl)diethanolamine chloride;DO SPER, 1,3-dioleoyloxy-2-(6-carboxy-spermyl)-propylamide;N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-N,N′-bis(2-hydroxylethyl)-2,3-dioleoyloxy-1,4-butan-ediammoniumiodide; 1-[2-(acyloxy)ethyl]-2-alkyl(alkenyl)-3-(2-hydroxyethyl)imidazolinium chloride, derivatives asdescribed by Solodin et al. (1995) Biochem. 43:13537-13544, such asDOTIM,1-[2-(9(Z)-octadecenoyloxy)ethyl]-2-(8(Z)-heptadecenyl-3-(2-hydrox-yethyl)imidazolinium chloride; DPTIM,1-[2-(hexadecanoyloxy)ethyl]-2-pentadecyl-3-(2-hydroxyethyl)imidazoliniumchloride; 2,3-dialkyloxypropyl quaternary ammonium compound derivatives,contain a hydroxyalkyl moiety on the quaternary amine, as describede.g., Feigner et al. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269:2550-2561, such as: DORI,1,2-dioleoyl-3-dimethyl-hydroxyethyl ammonium bromide; DORIE,1,2-dioleyloxypropyl-3-dimethyl-hydroxyethyl ammonium bromide; DORIE-HP,1,2-dioleyloxypropyl-3 -dimetyl-hydroxypropyl ammonium bromide;DORIE-HB, 1,2-dioleyloxypropyl-3 -dimethyl-hydroxybutyl ammoniumbromide; DORIE-HPe, 1,2-dioleyloxypropyl-3-dimethyl-hydroxypentylammonium bromide; DMRIE,1,2-dimyristyloxypropyl-3-dimethyl-hydroxylethyl ammonium bromide;DPRIE, 1,2-dipalmityloxypropyl-3-dimethyl-hydroxyethyl ammonium bromide;or DSRIE, 1,2-disteryloxypropyl-3-dimethyl-hydroxyethyl ammoniumbromide. Cationic lipids are described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No.7,794,747, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

In another embodiment, the liposome comprises a neutral lipid, e.g., aneutral phospholipid. In another embodiment, the neutral phospholipid isDPyPE. In another embodiment, a neutral lipid is, e.g., cholesterol;1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamines (including but not limitedto dioleoyl (DOPE)); 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholines; naturalegg yolk or soy bean phosphatidylcholine (PC), and the like; orsynthetic mono- and diacyl-phosphoethanolamines.

In another embodiment, the liposome comprises a commixture of a cationiclipid and a neutral phospholipid which, when combined in an aqueousvehicle, self-assemble to form liposomes. In another embodiment, theliposome comprises a commixture of(±)-N-(3-aminopropyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2,3-bis(cis-9-tetradecenyloxy)-1-propanaminiumbromide (GAP-DMORIE) and1,2-diphytanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DPyPE). In anotherembodiment, the liposome that comprises a commixture of GAP-DMORIE andDPyPE is Vaxfectin (Vical). Seehttp://www.vical.com/technology/formulations/vaxfectin/default.aspx Uponmixing with pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agents (e.g., nucleic acidsequence, protein, or vaccine), these cationic liposomes can associatethrough ionic, charge-based interactions with the pharmaceuticalimmunostimulatory agents and as a result provide an adjuvant effect,boosting the pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent's (e.g., vaccine's)ability to stimulate immune responses. In mechanism of action studies,Vaxfectin has been shown to increase a number of cytokines andchemokines, while Toll-like receptor signaling was contributory.

Liposomes can be a liposome from, e.g., Avanti Polar Lipids, Inc.,Encapsula Nano Sciences (ENS), Taiwan Liposome Company (tlc), LiposomeCompany, Inc., Avestin, Inc, and Lyotropic Therapeutics. Liposome-basedvaccines are described, e.g., in Schwender R A et al. Liposome-basedvaccines. Methods Mol Biol. vol. 605, pp. 163-175 (2010).Interbilayer-crosslinked multilamellar vesicles as synthetic vaccinesfor potent humoral and cellular immune responses are described, e.g., inJames L. Moon et al. (2011) Nature Materials vol 10., pp. 243-251, whichare hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

Examples of DNA vaccines that make use of liposomes are described, e.g.,in G. Gregoriadis et al. Entrapment of Plasmid DNA Vaccines intoLipsomes by Dehydration/Rehydration. Methods in Molecular Medicine vol.29 pp. 305-311; Yvonne Perrie et al. Liposome-mediated DNA vaccination:the effect of vesicle composition. Vaccine vol. 19, pp. 3301-3310; D.Wang. Liposomal oral DNA vaccine (mycobacterium DNA) elicits immuneresponse. Vaccine vol. 28 pp. 3134-42 (2010);

Use of Vaxfectin is described, e.g., in M Shlapobersky et al.Vaxfectin-adjuvanted seasonal influenza protein vaccine: correlation ofsystemic and local immunological markers with formulation parameters.Vaccine 2009 vol. 27: 6404-6410, which are hereby incorporated byreference in their entireties.

Liposomes are described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,586,409, 6,638,621,6,989,195, 6,991,809, 7,105,229, 7,105,574, 7,537,768, 7,582,613,7,628,993, and 7,655,235, which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entireties.

Other Adjuvants

An adjuvant is an agent, pharmacological or immunological, that canmodify the effect of another agent in a vaccine, without having anantigenic effect itself. Various adjuvants can be used to substitute forthe pathogen components that elicit inflammatory responses. Use of aninexpensive adjuvant with specific activity targeting vaccine antigensto the most effective antigen-presenting cells can enhance the immuneresponse without inducing undesirable inflammatory effects. An adjuvantcan function in a variety of ways. For example, an adjuvant can act as areleasing agent, presenting an antigen over a period of time (depotadjuvant). A depot adjuvant can be, e.g., and oil emulsion. An adjuvantcan be an irritant that amplifies and immune response. An adjuvant canalso stabilize formulations of antigens. In one embodiment thepharmaceutical compositions described herein comprise one or moredifferent adjuvants (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or more).

In one embodiment, the adjuvant is a virosome. A virosome can comprise aunilamellar phospholipid bilayer vesicle that incorporates proteinsderived from viruses that permit the virosome to fuse to target cells,e.g., cells of the immune system. A virosome can comprise a phospholipidbilayer membrane intercalated with viral envelope glycoproteins, e.g.,influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). The HA and NAcan confer structural stability and homogeneity to virosome particles. Avirosome can be endocytosed by an antigen presenting cell, antigensynthesis/uptake can occur in the cell, the antigen can be proteolyzed,and the antigen can be presented on the cell for stimulation of T-cells.T-cell cytokines can stimulate B-cells to produce antibodies.Alternatively, if the antigen is displayed on the surface of thevirosome, the antigen can directly stimulate B-cells to produceantibodies. A virosome can be provided by, e.g., Crucell, Pevion BiotechAG, or Virosome Biologicals B.V. In one embodiment the virosome-basedvaccines include but are not limited to, Epaxal® or Inflexal®.

In another embodiment, the adjuvant is an inorganic adjuvant. Forexample, an adjuvant can be an aluminum salt. The aluminum salt can be,e.g., aluminum phosphate, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum potassiumsulfate. An adjuvant can be calcium phosphate. Aluminum adjuvants canallow slow release of antigen

In another embodiment, the adjuvant comprises squalene. Squalene is anorganic polymer termed a triterpene.

In another embodiment, the adjuvant is an oil emulsion, products formbacteria, product from gram-negative bacteria, an endotoxin,cholesterol, fatty acids, aliphatic amines, or paraffinic or vegetableoil. In another embodiment, the adjuvant can be the oil-in wateremulsion MF59, ASO2, or ASO3. MF59 is a sub-micron oil-in-water emulsionof a squalene, polyoxyehtylene sorbitan moooleate (Tween 80) andsorbitan trioleate. The adjuvant can be ASO4 (aluminum andmonophosphoryl lipid A).

In another embodiment, the adjuvant is Freund's adjuvant. Freund'sadjuvant comprises a water-in-oil emulsion of aqueous antigen inparaffin (mineral) oil of low specific gravity and low viscosity.Drakeol 6VR and Arlacel A (mannide monoleate) can be used asemulsifiers. Incomplete Freund's adjuvant comprises water-in-oilemulsion without added mycobacteria. Complete Freund's adjuvantcomprises water-in-oil emulsion with heat-killed Mycobacteriumtuberculosis or butyricum added.

In another embodiment, microorganisms, or components of microorganisms,can be used as adjuvant including, e.g., Bordetella pertussiscomponents, Corenybacterium derived P40 component, cholera toxin, andmycobacteria.

In another embodiment, the adjuvant is lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

In another embodiment, the adjuvant is a CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpGODN). CpGs are short single-stranded synthetic DNA molecules thatcontain a cytosine “C” followed by a guanine “G”. The “p” refers to thephosphodiester backbone of DNA, however some ODN can have a modifiedphosphorothioate (PS) backbone. When these CpG motifs are unmethlyated,they act as immunostimulants. CpG motifs are consideredpathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) due to their abundance inmicrobial genomes but their rarity in vertebrate genomes. The CpG PAMPis recognized by the pattern recognition receptor (PRR) Toll-LikeReceptor 9 (TLR9), which is expressed in B cells and plasmacytoiddendritic cells (pDCs) in humans and other higher primates. Numeroussequences have been shown to stimulate TLR9 with variations in thenumber and location of CpG dimers, as well as the precise base sequencesflanking the CpG dimers. This led to the creation of five classes orcategories of CpG ODN based on their sequence, secondary structures, andeffect on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The fiveclasses are Class A (Type D), Class B (Type K), Class C, Class P, andClass S. The Class A ODNS have structural features that include: thepresences of a poly G sequence at the 5′ end, the 3′ end, or both; aninternal palindrome sequence; GC dinucleotides contained within theinternal palindrome; and a partially PS-modified backbone. In oneembodiment the internal palindrome sequence can be 4 to 8 base pairs inlength and vary in the order of bases. In one embodiment the palindromesequence is 5′-Pu Pu CG Pu Py CG Py Py-3′. In one embodiment Class A CpGODNs can induce the production of large amounts of Type I interferons(e.g. IFNα) or induce the maturation of peripheral dendritic cells(pDCs). The Class B ODNs have structural features that include: one ormore timer CpG motif 5′-Pu Py C G Py Pu-3′; a fully phosphorothioated(PS-modified) backbone; and are generally 18 to 28 nucleotides in lengthare strong stimulators of human B cell and monocyte maturation. In oneembodiment Class B ODNs stimulate human B cell and monocyte maturation.In another embodiment Class B ODNs stimulate the maturation of pDCs orthe production of small amounts of IFNα.

In another embodiment, the adjuvant is an immunostimulating complex(ISCOM). An ISCOM can be a stable but non-covalently-bound complex ofsaponin adjuvant Quil-A, cholesterol, and amphipathic antigen in a molarratio of approximately 1:1:1.

In one embodiment, and adjuvant is a cytokine, e.g., interleukins suchas interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13,IL-14, IL-15, IL-16 and IL-18, hematopoietic factors such asgranulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocytecolony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and erythropoeitin, tumor necrosisfactors (TNF) such as TNF alpha, lymphokines such as lymphotoxin,regulators of metabolic processes such as leptin, interferons such asinterferon alpha, interferon beta, and interferon gamma, and chemokines,e.g., CCL1, CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CCL5, CCL6, CCL7, CCL8, CCL9/CCL10, CCL11,CCL12, CCL13, CCL14, CCL15, CCL16, CCL17, CCL18, CCL19, CCL20, CCL21,CCL22, CCL23, CCL24, CCL25, CCL26, CCL27, CCL28, CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3,CXCL4, CXCL5, CXCL6, CXCL7, CXCL8, CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, CXC12, CXCL13,CXCL14, CXCL15, CXCL16, CXCL17, XCL1, XCL2, or CX3CL1. In one embodimentthe cytokine can be expressed from a plasmid. In another embodiment, thecytokine can be provided as a polypeptide.

Other Agents/Formulations/Modes of Delivery

In one embodiment, a pharmaceutical composition comprises carriersand/or excipients (including but not limited to buffers, carbohydrates,mannitol, proteins, polypeptides or amino acids such as glycine,antioxidants, bacteriostats, chelating agents, suspending agents,thickening agents and/or preservatives), water, oils including those ofpetroleum, animal, vegetable or synthetic origin, such as peanut oil,soybean oil, mineral oil, sesame oil and the like, saline solutions,aqueous dextrose and glycerol solutions, flavoring agents, coloringagents, detackifiers and other acceptable additives, adjuvants, orbinders, other pharmaceutically acceptable auxiliary substances asrequired to approximate physiological conditions, such as pH bufferingagents, tonicity adjusting agents, emulsifying agents, wetting agentsand the like. Examples of excipients include starch, glucose, lactose,sucrose, gelatin, malt, rice, flour, chalk, silica gel, sodium stearate,glycerol monostearate, talc, sodium chloride, dried skim milk, glycerol,propylene, glycol, water, ethanol and the like. In another embodiment, apharmaceutical composition is substantially free of preservatives. Inanother embodiment, a pharmaceutical composition can contain at leastone preservative. General methodology on pharmaceutical dosage forms isfound in, e.g., in Ansel et al., Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and DrugDelivery Systems (Lippencott Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore Md. (1999)),which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. While anysuitable carrier known to those of ordinary skill in the art can beemployed to administer the pharmaceutical composition, the type ofcarrier will vary depending on the mode of administration.

The concentration of components of the pharmaceutical composition, e.g.,nucleic acid sequence of polypeptide, can be adjusted, the pH of thesolution buffered and the isotonicity adjusted to be compatible withintravenous injection, as is well known in the art.

A pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence orpolypeptide) can be formulated as a sterile solution or suspension, insuitable vehicles, well known in the art. A pharmaceutical compositioncan be sterilized by conventional, well-known sterilization techniques,or can be sterile filtered. The resulting aqueous solutions can bepackaged for use as is, or lyophilized, the lyophilized preparationbeing combined with a sterile solution prior to administration. Suitableformulations and additional carriers are described, e.g., in Remington“The Science and Practice of Pharmacy” (20^(th) Ed., Lippincott Williams& Wilkins, Baltimore Md.), the teachings of which are incorporated byreference in their entirety herein.

A pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence orpolypeptide) in a pharmaceutical composition can be provided alone or incombination with one or more other agents (e.g., adjuvants) or with oneor more other forms. For example a formulation can comprise one or moreagents in particular proportions, depending on the relative potencies ofeach agent and the intended indication. For example, in compositionscomprising two different nucleic acid sequences, and where potencies aresimilar, about a 1:1 ratio of the nucleic acid sequences can be used.The two forms can be formulated together, in the same dosage unit e.g.,in one cream, suppository, tablet, capsule, aerosol spray, or packet ofpowder to be dissolved in a beverage; or each form can be formulated ina separate unit, e.g., two creams, two suppositories, two tablets, twocapsules, a tablet and a liquid for dissolving the tablet, two aerosolsprays, or a packet of powder and a liquid for dissolving the powder,etc.

The term “pharmaceutically acceptable salt” means those salts whichretain the biological effectiveness and properties of an agent used in apharmaceutical composition described herein, and which are notbiologically or otherwise undesirable. For example, a pharmaceuticallyacceptable salt does not interfere with the beneficial effect of anagent in preventing, inhibiting, reducing the severity of, or treating acondition (e.g., malaria, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, bacterialinfection, fungal infection, viral infection, parasite infection, etc.).

Typical salts are those of the inorganic ions, such as, for example,sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium ions, and the like. Such saltsinclude salts with inorganic or organic acids, such as hydrochloricacid, hydrobromic acid, phosphoric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid,methanesulfonic acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, acetic acid, fumaric acid,succinic acid, lactic acid, mandelic acid, malic acid, citric acid,tartaric acid or maleic acid. In addition, if an agent contains acarboxy group or other acidic group, it can be converted into apharmaceutically acceptable addition salt with inorganic or organicbases. Examples of suitable bases include sodium hydroxide, potassiumhydroxide, ammonia, cyclohexylamine, dicyclohexyl-amine, ethanolamine,diethanolamine, triethanolamine, and the like.

A pharmaceutically acceptable ester or amide refers to those whichretain biological effectiveness and properties of an agent used in apharmaceutical composition described herein, and which are notbiologically or otherwise undesirable. For example, the ester or amidedoes not interfere with the beneficial effect of an agent in preventing,inhibiting, reducing the severity of, or treating a condition (e.g.,malaria, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, bacterial infection, fungalinfection, viral infection, parasite infection, etc.). Esters caninclude, e.g., ethyl, methyl, isobutyl, ethylene glycol, and the like.Amides can include, e.g., unsubstituted amides, alkyl amides, dialkylamides, and the like.

In another embodiment, a pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent (e.g.,nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) can be administered in combinationwith one or more other compounds, forms, and/or agents, e.g., asdescribed above. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising combinations ofa nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide with one or more other activeagents can be formulated to comprise certain molar ratios. For example,molar ratios of about 99:1 to about 1:99 of a nucleic acid sequence orpolypeptide to the other active agent can be used. In some subset of theembodiments, the range of molar ratios of nucleic acid sequence orpolypeptide: other active agent is selected from about 80:20 to about20:80; about 75:25 to about 25:75, about 70:30 to about 30:70, about66:33 to about 33:66, about 60:40 to about 40:60; about 50:50; and about90:10 to about 10:90. The molar ratio of nucleic acid sequence orpolypeptide: other active agent can be about 1:9, and in anotherembodiment can be about 1:1. Two agents, forms and/or compounds can beformulated together, in the same dosage unit e.g., in one cream,suppository, tablet, capsule, or packet of powder to be dissolved in abeverage; or each agent, form, and/or compound can be formulated inseparate units, e.g., two creams, suppositories, tablets, two capsules,a tablet and a liquid for dissolving the tablet, an aerosol spray apacket of powder and a liquid for dissolving the powder, etc.

In one embodiment, a pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent (e.g.,nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) and/or combinations of agents canbe administered with one or more agents with a therapeutic effect. Inone embodiment the one or more other agents can be co-administered withthe pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent. In another embodiment theone or more other agents can be administered before or after thepharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent. In one embodiment thepharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent and the one or more other agentscan be administered by the same route of delivery. In another embodimentthe pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent and the one or more otheragents can be administered by different routes of delivery. The choiceof agents that can be co-administered with the agents (e.g., nucleicacid sequence or polypeptide) and/or combinations of agents can depend,at least in part, on the condition being treated. Agents that can beused in the formulations described herein include, for example, anyagent having a therapeutic effect for a condition (e.g., malaria,cancer, Alzheimer's disease, bacterial infection, fungal infection,viral infection, parasite infection, etc.), including, e.g., drugs usedto treat inflammatory conditions.

In one embodiment an agent with a therapeutic effect can be ananti-inflammatory drug, such as an NSAID, e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen,acetaminophen, ketoprofen, or aspirin. In another embodiment, an agentwith a therapeutic effect can be an influenza antiviral agent, such asamantadine, rimantadine, zanamivir, and oseltamivir. In anotherembodiment, an agent with a therapeutic effect can be an antiviraldrugs, such as protease inhibitors (lopinavir/ritonavir {Kaletra},indinavir {Crixivan}, ritonavir {Norvir}, nelfinavir {Viracept},saquinavir hard gel capsules {Invirase}, atazanavir {Reyataz},amprenavir {Agenerase}, fosamprenavir {Telzir}, tipranavir {Aptivus}),reverse transcriptase inhibitors, including non-Nucleoside andNucleoside/nucleotide inhibitors (AZT {zidovudine, Retrovir}, ddI{didanosine, Videx}, 3TC {lamivudine, Epivir}, d4T {stavudine, Zerit},abacavir {Ziagen}, FTC {emtricitabine, Emtriva}, tenofovir {Viread},efavirenz {Sustiva} and nevirapine {Viramune}), fusion inhibitors T20{enfuvirtide, Fuzeon}, integrase inhibitors (MK-0518 and GS-9137), andmaturation inhibitors (PA-457 {Bevirimat}). In another embodiment, anagent with a therapeutic effect can be vitamin C, E or otheranti-oxidants.

In one embodiment a formulation of a pharmaceutical compositiondescribed herein can contain one or more conventional anti-inflammatorydrugs, such as an NSAID, e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen,ketoprofen, or aspirin. In another embodiment, a formulations of apharmaceutical composition described herein can described herein canadditionally contain one or more conventional influenza antiviralagents, such as amantadine, rimantadine, zanamivir, and oseltamivir. Intreatments for retroviral infections, such as HIV, a formulations of apharmaceutical composition described herein can additionally contain oneor more conventional antiviral drugs, such as protease inhibitors(lopinavir/ritonavir {Kaletra}, indinavir {Crixivan}, ritonavir{Norvir}, nelfinavir {Viracept}, saquinavir hard gel capsules{Invirase}, atazanavir {Reyataz}, amprenavir {Agenerase}, fosamprenavir{Telzir}, tipranavir {Aptivus}), reverse transcriptase inhibitors,including non-Nucleoside and Nucleoside/nucleotide inhibitors (AZT{zidovudine, Retrovir}, ddI {didanosine, Videx}, 3TC {lamivudine,Epivir}, d4T {stavudine, Zerit}, abacavir {Ziagen}, FTC {emtricitabine,Emtriva}, tenofovir {Viread}, efavirenz {Sustiva} and nevirapine{Viramune}), fusion inhibitors T20 {enfuvirtide, Fuzeon}, integraseinhibitors (MK-0518 and GS-9137), and maturation inhibitors (PA-457{Bevirimat}). In another embodiment, a formulations of a pharmaceuticalcomposition described herein can additionally contain one or moresupplements, such as vitamin C, E or other anti-oxidants.

In one embodiment, an agent with a therapeutic effect is an anticanceragent. In one embodiment, the agent with a therapeutic effect is13-cis-Retinoic Acid, 2-CdA, 2-Chlorodeoxyadenosine, 5-Azacitidine,5-Fluorouracil, 6-Mercaptopurine, 6-MP, 6-TG, 6-Thioguanine, Abraxane,Accutane®, Actinomycin-D, Adriamycin®, Adrucil®, Afinitor®, Agrylin®,Ala-Cort®, Aldesleukin, Alemtuzumab, ALIMTA, Alitretinoin, Alkaban-AQ®,Alkeran®, All-transretinoic Acid, Alpha Interferon, Altretamine,Amethopterin, Amifostine, Aminoglutethimide, Anagrelide, Anandron®,Anastrozole, Arabinosylcytosine, Ara-C, Aranesp®, Aredia®, Arimidex®,Aromasin®, Arranon®, Arsenic Trioxide, Arzerra™, Asparaginase, ATRA,Avastin®, Azacitidine, BCG, BCNU, Bendamustine, Bevacizumab, Bexarotene,BEXXAR®, Bicalutamide, BiCNU, Blenoxane®, Bleomycin, Bortezomib,Busulfan, Busulfex®, C225, Calcium Leucovorin, Campath®, Camptosar®,Camptothecin-11, Capecitabine, Carac™, Carboplatin, Carmustine,Carmustine Wafer, Casodex®, CC-5013, CCI-779, CCNU, CDDP, CeeNU,Cerubidine®, Cetuximab, Chlorambucil, Cisplatin, Citrovorum Factor,Cladribine, Cortisone, Cosmegen®, CPT-11, Cyclophosphamide, Cytadren®,Cytarabine, Cytarabine Liposomal, Cytosar-U®, Cytoxan®, Dacarbazine,Dacogen, Dactinomycin, Darbepoetin Alfa, Dasatinib, Daunomycin,Daunorubicin, Daunorubicin Hydrochloride, Daunorubicin Liposomal,DaunoXome®, Decadron, Decitabine, Delta-Cortef®, Deltasone®, DenileukinDiftitox, DepoCyt™, Dexamethasone, Dexamethasone Acetate, DexamethasoneSodium Phosphate, Dexasone, Dexrazoxane, DHAD, DIC, Diodex, Docetaxel,Doxil®, Doxorubicin, Doxorubicin Liposomal, Droxia™, DTIC, DTIC-Dome®,Duralone®, Efudex®, Eligard™, Ellence™, Eloxatin™, Elspar®, Emcyt®,Epirubicin, Epoetin Alfa, Erbitux, Erlotinib, Erwinia L-asparaginase,Estramustine, Ethyol, Etopophos®, Etoposide, Etoposide Phosphate,Eulexin®, Everolimus, Evista®, Exemestane, Fareston®, Faslodex®,Femara®, Filgrastim, Floxuridine, Fludara®, Fludarabine, Fluoroplex®,Fluorouracil, Fluorouracil (cream), Fluoxymesterone, Flutamide, FolinicAcid, FUDR®, Fulvestrant, G-CSF, Gefitinib, Gemcitabine, Gemtuzumabozogamicin, Gemzar, Gleevec™, Gliadel® Wafer, GM-CSF, Goserelin,Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor, Granulocyte Macrophage ColonyStimulating Factor, Halotestin®, Herceptin®, Hexadrol, Hexalen®,Hexamethylmelamine, HMM, Hycamtin®, Hydrea®, Hydrocort Acetate®,Hydrocortisone, Hydrocortisone Sodium Phosphate, Hydrocortisone SodiumSuccinate, Hydrocortone Phosphate, Hydroxyurea, Ibritumomab, IbritumomabTiuxetan, Idamycin®, Idarubicin, Ifex®, IFN-alpha, Ifosfamide, IL-11,IL-2, Imatinib mesylate, Imidazole Carboxamide, Interferon alfa,Interferon Alfa-2b (PEG Conjugate), Interleukin-2, Interleukin-11,Intron A® (interferon alfa-2b), Iressa®, Irinotecan, Isotretinoin,Ixabepilone, Ixempra™, Kidrolase (t), Lanacort®, Lapatinib,L-asparaginase, LCR, Lenalidomide, Letrozole, Leucovorin, Leukeran,Leukine™, Leuprolide, Leurocristine, Leustatin™, Liposomal Ara-C, LiquidPred®, Lomustine, L-PAM, L-Sarcolysin, Lupron®, Lupron Depot®,Matulane®, Maxidex, Mechlorethamine, Mechlorethamine Hydrochloride,Medralone®, Medrol®, Megace®, Megestrol, Megestrol Acetate, Melphalan,Mercaptopurine, Mesna, Mesnex™, Methotrexate, Methotrexate Sodium,Methylprednisolone, Meticorten®, Mitomycin, Mitomycin-C, Mitoxantrone,M-Prednisol®, MTC, MTX, Mustargen®, Mustine, Mutamycin®, Myleran®,Mylocel™, Mylotarg®, Navelbine®, Nelarabine, Neosar®, Neulasta™,Neumega®, Neupogen®, Nexavar®, Nilandron®, Nilotinib, Nilutamide,Nipent®, Nitrogen Mustard, Novaldex®, Novantrone®, Nplate, Octreotide,Octreotide acetate, Ofatumumab, Oncospar®, Oncovin®, Ontak®, Onxal™,Oprelvekin, Orapred®, Orasone®, Oxaliplatin, Paclitaxel, PaclitaxelProtein-bound, Pamidronate, Panitumumab, Panretin®, Paraplatin®,Pazopanib, Pediapred®, PEG Interferon, Pegaspargase, Pegfilgrastim,PEG-INTRON™, PEG-L-asparaginase, PEMETREXED, Pentostatin, PhenylalanineMustard, Platinol®, Platinol-AQ®, Prednisolone, Prednisone, Prelone®,Procarbazine, PROCRIT®, Proleukin®, Prolifeprospan 20 with CarmustineImplant, Purinethol®, Raloxifene, Revlimid®, Rheumatrex®, Rituxan®,Rituximab, Roferon-A® (Interferon Alfa-2a), Romiplostim, Rubex®,Rubidomycin hydrochloride, Sandostatin®, Sandostatin LAR®, Sargramostim,Solu-Cortef®, Solu-Medrol®, Sorafenib, SPRYCEL™, STI-571, Streptozocin,SU11248, Sunitinib, Sutent®, Tamoxifen, Tarceva®, Targretin®, Tasigna®,Taxol®, Taxotere®, Temodar®, Temozolomide, Temsirolimus, Teniposide,TESPA, Thalidomide, Thalomid®, TheraCys®, Thioguanine, ThioguanineTabloid®, Thiophosphoamide, Thioplex®, Thiotepa, TICE®, Toposar®,Topotecan, Toremifene, Torisel®, Tositumomab, Trastuzumab, Treanda®,Tretinoin, Trexall™, Trisenox®, TSPA, TYKERB®, VCR, Vectibix™, Velban®,Velcade®, VePesid®, Vesanoid®, Viadur™, Vidaza®, Vinblastine,Vinblastine Sulfate, Vincasar Pfs®, Vincristine, Vinorelbine,Vinorelbine tartrate, VLB, VM-26, Vorinostat, Votrient, VP-16, Vumon®,Xeloda®, Zanosar®, Zevalin™, Zinecard®, Zoladex®, Zoledronic acid,Zolinza, Zometa®

In one embodiment, an agent is an Alzheimer's drug. In one embodiment,the Alzheimer's drug is Namenda (memantine), Razadyne (galantamine),Exelon (rivastigmine), Aricept (donepezil), or Cognex.

An agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence of polypeptide) (orpharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters or amides thereof) can beadministered per se or in the form of a pharmaceutical compositionwherein the active agent(s) is in an admixture or mixture with one ormore pharmaceutically acceptable carriers. A pharmaceutical composition,as used herein, can be any composition prepared for administration to asubject. Pharmaceutical compositions for use in accordance with themethods described herein can be formulated in conventional manner usingone or more physiologically acceptable carriers, comprising excipients,diluents, and/or auxiliaries, e.g., which facilitate processing of theactive agents into preparations that can be administered. Properformulation can depend at least in part upon the route of administrationchosen. The agent(s) useful in the pharmaceutical compositions, kits,and methods described herein, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts,esters, or amides thereof, can be delivered to a patient using a numberof routes or modes of administration, including oral, buccal, topical,rectal, transdermal, transmucosal, subcutaneous, intravenous, andintramuscular applications, as well as by inhalation.

For oral administration, a pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent (e.g.,nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) can be formulated readily bycombining the active agent(s) with pharmaceutically acceptable carrierswell known in the art. Such carriers enable the agents described hereinto be formulated as tablets, including chewable tablets, pills, dragees,capsules, lozenges, hard candy, liquids, gels, syrups, slurries,powders, suspensions, elixirs, wafers, and the like, for oral ingestionby a patient to be treated. Such formulations can comprisepharmaceutically acceptable carriers including solid diluents orfillers, sterile aqueous media and various non-toxic organic solvents. Asolid carrier can be one or more substances which can also act asdiluents, flavoring agents, solubilizers, lubricants, suspending agents,binders, preservatives, tablet disintegrating agents, or anencapsulating material. In powders, the carrier generally is a finelydivided solid which is a mixture with the finely divided activecomponent. In tablets, the active component generally is mixed with thecarrier having the necessary binding capacity in suitable proportionsand compacted in the shape and size desired. The powders and tablets cancontain from about one (1) to about seventy (70) percent of the activecompound. Suitable carriers include but are not limited to magnesiumcarbonate, magnesium stearate, talc, sugar, lactose, pectin, dextrin,starch, gelatin, tragacanth, methylcellulose, sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose, a low melting wax, cocoa butter, and the like.Generally, an agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) will beincluded at concentration levels ranging from about 0.5%, about 5%,about 10%, about 20%, or about 30% to about 50%, about 60%, about 70%,about 80% or about 90% by weight of the total composition of oral dosageforms, in an amount sufficient to provide a desired unit of dosage.

Aqueous suspensions for oral use can contain a pharmaceuticalimmunostimulatory agents (e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide)with pharmaceutically acceptable excipients, such as a suspending agent(e.g., methyl cellulose), a wetting agent (e.g., lecithin, lysolecithinand/or a long-chain fatty alcohol), as well as coloring agents,preservatives, flavoring agents, and the like.

In another embodiment, oils or non-aqueous solvents can be required tobring the agents into solution, due to, for example, the presence oflarge lipophilic moieties. Alternatively, emulsions, suspensions, orother preparations, for example, liposomal preparations, can be used.With respect to liposomal preparations, any known methods for preparingliposomes for treatment of a condition can be used. See, for example,Bangham et al., J. Mol. Biol. 23: 238-252 (1965) and Szoka et al., Proc.Natl Acad. Sci. USA 75: 4194-4198 (1978), incorporated herein byreference. Ligands can also be attached to the liposomes to direct thesecompositions to particular sites of action. A pharmaceuticalimmunostimulatory agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) canalso be integrated into foodstuffs, e.g., cream cheese, butter, saladdressing, or ice cream to facilitate solubilization, administration,and/or compliance in certain patient populations.

Pharmaceutical preparations for oral use can be obtained as a solidexcipient, optionally grinding a resulting mixture, and processing themixture of granules, after adding suitable auxiliaries, if desired, toobtain tablets or dragee cores. Suitable excipients are, in particular,fillers such as sugars, including lactose, sucrose, mannitol, orsorbitol; flavoring elements, cellulose preparations such as, forexample, maize starch, wheat starch, rice starch, potato starch,gelatin, gum tragacanth, methyl cellulose,hydroxypropylmethyl-cellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and/orpolyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). If desired, disintegrating agents can beadded, such as the cross-linked polyvinyl pyrrolidone, agar, or alginicacid or a salt thereof such as sodium alginate. The agents can also beformulated as a sustained release preparation.

Dragee cores can be provided with suitable coatings. For this purpose,concentrated sugar solutions can be used, which can optionally containgum arabic, talc, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, carbopol gel, polyethyleneglycol, and/or titanium dioxide, lacquer solutions, and suitable organicsolvents or solvent mixtures. Dyestuffs or pigments can be added to thetablets or dragee coatings for identification or to characterizedifferent combinations of active agents.

Pharmaceutical preparations that can be used orally include push-fitcapsules made of gelatin, as well as soft, sealed capsules made ofgelatin and a plasticizer, such as glycerol or sorbitol. The push-fitcapsules can contain the active ingredients in admixture with fillersuch as lactose, binders such as starches, and/or lubricants such astalc or magnesium stearate and, optionally, stabilizers. In softcapsules, an active agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide)can be dissolved or suspended in suitable liquids, such as fatty oils,liquid paraffin, or liquid polyethylene glycols. In addition,stabilizers can be added. All formulations for oral administration canbe in dosages suitable for administration.

Other forms suitable for oral administration include liquid formpreparations including emulsions, syrups, elixirs, aqueous solutions,aqueous suspensions, or solid form preparations which are intended to beconverted shortly before use to liquid form preparations. Emulsions canbe prepared in solutions, for example, in aqueous propylene glycolsolutions or can contain emulsifying agents, for example, such aslecithin, sorbitan monooleate, or acacia. Aqueous solutions can beprepared by dissolving the active component in water and adding suitablecolorants, flavors, stabilizers, and thickening agents. Aqueoussuspensions can be prepared by dispersing the finely divided activecomponent in water with viscous material, such as natural or syntheticgums, resins, methylcellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and otherwell known suspending agents. Suitable fillers or carriers with whichthe compositions can be administered include agar, alcohol, fats,lactose, starch, cellulose derivatives, polysaccharides,polyvinylpyrrolidone, silica, sterile saline and the like, or mixturesthereof used in suitable amounts. Solid form preparations includesolutions, suspensions, and emulsions, and can contain, in addition tothe active component, colorants, flavors, stabilizers, buffers,artificial and natural sweeteners, dispersants, thickeners, solubilizingagents, and the like.

A syrup or suspension can be made by adding the active compound to aconcentrated, aqueous solution of a sugar, e.g., sucrose, to which canalso be added any accessory ingredients. Such accessory ingredients caninclude flavoring, an agent to retard crystallization of the sugar or anagent to increase the solubility of any other ingredient, e.g., as apolyhydric alcohol, for example, glycerol or sorbitol.

When formulating a pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent (e.g., nucleicacid sequence or polypeptide) for oral administration, it can bedesirable to use gastroretentive formulations to enhance absorption fromthe gastrointestinal (GI) tract. A formulation which is retained in thestomach for several hours can release compounds of the invention slowlyand provide a sustained release that can be used in methods of theinvention. Disclosure of such gastro-retentive formulations are found inKlausner, E. A.; Lavy, E.; Barta, M.; Cserepes, E.; Friedman, M.;Hoffman, A. 2003 “Novel gastroretentive dosage forms: evaluation ofgastroretentivity and its effect on levodopa in humans.” Pharm. Res. 20,1466-73, Hoffman, A.; Stepensky, D.; Lavy, E.; Eyal, S. Klausner, E.;Friedman, M. 2004 “Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects ofgastroretentive dosage forms” Int. J. Pharm. 11, 141-53, Streubel, A.;Siepmann, J.; Bodmeier, R.; 2006 “Gastroretentive drug delivery systems”Expert Opin. Drug Deliver. 3, 217-3, and Chavanpatil, M. D.; Jain, P.;Chaudhari, S.; Shear, R.; Vavia, P. R. “Novel sustained release,swellable and bioadhesive gastroretentive drug delivery system forolfoxacin” Int. J. Pharm. 2006 epub March 24. Expandable, floating andbioadhesive techniques can be utilized to maximize absorption of thecompounds of the invention.

A pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence orpolypeptide) can be formulated for parenteral administration (e.g., byinjection, for example bolus injection or continuous infusion) and canbe presented in unit dose form in ampoules, pre-filled syringes, smallvolume infusion or in multi-dose containers with an added preservative.The pharmaceutical compositions can take such forms as suspensions,solutions, or emulsions in oily or aqueous vehicles, for examplesolutions in aqueous polyethylene glycol. In one embodiment, thepharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence orpolypeptide) is administered by parenteral injection (e.g., intravenous,subcutaneous, intramuscular, or intraperitoneal). In one embodiment thepharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent comprises a nucleic acid sequenceencoding a fusion protein comprising an antigen or a fragment thereofand an immune cell product (e.g., MIP-3 α).

For injectable formulations, a vehicle can be chosen from those known inart to be suitable, including aqueous solutions or oil suspensions, oremulsions, with sesame oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, or peanut oil, aswell as elixirs, mannitol, dextrose, or a sterile aqueous solution, andsimilar pharmaceutical vehicles. The formulation can also comprisepolymer compositions which are biocompatible, biodegradable, such aspoly(lactic-co-glycolic)acid. These materials can be made into micro ornanospheres, loaded with drug and further coated or derivatized toprovide superior sustained release performance. Vehicles suitable forperiocular or intraocular injection include, for example, suspensions oftherapeutic agent in injection grade water, liposomes and vehiclessuitable for lipophilic substances. Other vehicles for periocular orintraocular injection are well known in the art.

In one embodiment, a pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent (e.g.,nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) is administered by in vivoelectroporation. In vivo electroporation can be performed with a syringepre-loaded with nucleic acid sequence, polypeptide, and/or apharmaceutical composition. The syringe and needle electrodes can beinserted into tissue, and the nucleic acid sequence, polypeptide, and/orpharmaceutical composition can be injected. A low micro-second electricpulse can be applied through the syringe needle. Electroporation caninvolve application of a millisecond electrical pulse, which can form anelectric field. The electrical field can cause permeability in a cellmembrane and can increase the uptake of biological material injectedinto local tissue. In vivo electroporation techniques are described,e.g., in U.S. Patent Application Nos. 20090156787 and 20050052630, whichare hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.Electroporation devices are also described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,245,963,6,912,417, 6,319,901, 6,278,895, 6,041,252, 5,873,849, 6,117,660, or6,653,114, which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentireties. In vivo electroporation can be performed with technologyfrom Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ichor Medical Systems, or Cyto PulseSciences (e.g., Easy Vax Clinical Epidermal Electroporation System).

The Easy Vax vaccine delivery system can deliver large molecules, usingpulsed electric fields, directly in vivo into human skin cells to elicitan immune response against a specific target. The delivery system caninclude a single-use microneedle array in which each needle is coatedwith the polynucleotide. Hundreds of microneedles in the array can bealigned in 20 or more rows, with each row of needles dielectricallyisolated. The array can be a few millimeters square and the needles canbe <1 mm long. When inserted into the skin, there can be approximately6200 epithelial cells and 25 Langerhans cells within the volume betweenany two rows when inserted 0.15 mm. The system can include a WaveformGenerator that can apply a pulsed voltage (1-50 volts) from one row ofneedles to the next. The electric field established between the needlerows can permeabilize the membranes of the cells between the rowspermitting polynucleotide or polypeptide to enter the cells. This systemintroduces several design features that can enhance immunization. First,the electrode needles are only 150-500μ long, ensuring that the majorityof the needles do not penetrate significantly beyond the basal lamina ofthe skin. Second, the needles can be spaced close together, reducing theabsolute voltage required to achieve cell membrane permeabilization.This can result in a painless delivery system and place the nucleic acidsequence or polypeptide at a site of abundant Langerhans cells to engagethe proteins secreted by the cells that take up the DNA. The results ofan experiment comparing immunization with vaccinia DNA using theCyto-Pulse Easy Vax system vs. immunization using the standardscarification technique with live vaccinia demonstrated that equivalentELISA and neutralization titers were obtained with either method (datanot shown). Published studies also indicate a dramatic enhancement ofthe response to DNA encoding HBsAg when electroporation using the EasyVax system is added to the immunization regimen.

A composition can be formulated in accordance with routine procedures asa pharmaceutical composition adapted for intravenous administration tohuman beings. Pharmaceutical compositions for intravenous administrationcan be solutions in sterile isotonic aqueous buffer. Where necessary,the pharmaceutical composition can also include a solubilizing agent anda local anesthetic such as lidocaine to ease pain at the site of theinjection. Generally, the ingredients are supplied either separately ormixed together in unit dosage form, for example, as a dry lyophilizedpowder or water free concentrate in a hermetically sealed container suchas an ampoule or sachette indicating the quantity of active agent. Wherea pharmaceutical composition is to be administered by infusion, it canbe dispensed with an infusion bottle containing sterile pharmaceuticalgrade water or saline. Where a pharmaceutical composition isadministered by injection, an ampoule of sterile water for injection orsaline can be provided so that the ingredients can be mixed prior toadministration.

When administration is by injection, a pharmaceutical immunostimulatoryagent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) can be formulated inaqueous solutions, e.g., in physiologically compatible buffers such asHanks solution, Ringer's solution, or physiological saline buffer. Thesolution can contain formulatory agents such as suspending, stabilizingand/or dispersing agents. An agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence orpolypeptide) can be in powder form for constitution with a suitablevehicle, e.g., sterile pyrogen-free water, before use. In anotherembodiment, a pharmaceutical composition does not comprise an adjuvantor any other substance added to enhance the immune response stimulatedby an agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide). In anotherembodiment, the pharmaceutical composition comprises a substance thatinhibits an immune response an agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence orpolypeptide). Methods of formulation are known in the art, for example,as disclosed in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, latest edition,Mack Publishing Co., Easton P.

In addition to the formulations described previously, a pharmaceuticalimmunostimulatory agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) canalso be formulated as a depot preparation. Such long acting formulationscan be administered by implantation or transcutaneous delivery (forexample subcutaneously or intramuscularly), intramuscular injection oruse of a transdermal patch. Thus, for example, an agent (e.g., nucleicacid sequence or polypeptide) can be formulated with suitable polymericor hydrophobic materials (for example as an emulsion in an acceptableoil) or ion exchange resins, or as sparingly soluble derivatives, forexample, as a sparingly soluble salt. A pharmaceutical composition canbe self-administered.

In another embodiment, a pharmaceutical composition comprising one ormore pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agents (e.g., nucleic acidsequence or polypeptide) exerts local and regional effects whenadministered topically or injected at or near particular sites ofinfection. Direct topical application, e.g., of a viscous liquid,solution, suspension, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)-based solutions,liposomal formulations, gel, jelly, cream, lotion, ointment,suppository, foam, or aerosol spray, can be used for localadministration, to produce, e.g., local and/or regional effects.Pharmaceutically appropriate vehicles for such formulation include,e.g., lower aliphatic alcohols, polyglycols (e.g., glycerol orpolyethylene glycol), esters of fatty acids, oils, fats, silicones, andthe like. Such preparations can also include preservatives (e.g.,p-hydroxybenzoic acid esters) and/or antioxidants (e.g., ascorbic acidand tocopherol). See also Dermatological Formulations: Percutaneousabsorption, Barry (Ed.), Marcel Dekker Incl, 1983. In anotherembodiment, local/topical formulations comprising a nucleic acidsequence or polypeptide are used in preventing, inhibiting, reducing theseverity of, or treating a condition (e.g., malaria, cancer, Alzheimer'sdisease, bacterial infection, fungal infection, viral infection,parasite infection, etc.).

A pharmaceutical composition can contain a cosmetically ordermatologically acceptable carrier. Such carriers are compatible withskin, nails, mucous membranes, tissues and/or hair, and can include anyconventionally used cosmetic or dermatological carrier meeting theserequirements. Such carriers can be readily selected by one of ordinaryskill in the art. In formulating skin ointments, an agent (e.g., nucleicacid sequence or polypeptide) or combination of agents can be formulatedin an oleaginous hydrocarbon base, an anhydrous absorption base, awater-in-oil absorption base, an oil-in-water water-removable baseand/or a water-soluble base. Examples of such carriers and excipientsinclude, but are not limited to, humectants (e.g., urea), glycols (e.g.,propylene glycol), alcohols (e.g., ethanol), fatty acids (e.g., oleicacid), surfactants (e.g., isopropyl myristate and sodium laurylsulfate), pyrrolidones, glycerol monolaurate, sulfoxides, terpenes(e.g., menthol), amines, amides, alkanes, alkanols, water, calciumcarbonate, calcium phosphate, various sugars, starches, cellulosederivatives, gelatin, and polymers such as polyethylene glycols.

Ointments and creams can, e.g., be formulated with an aqueous or oilybase with the addition of suitable thickening and/or gelling agents.Lotions can be formulated with an aqueous or oily base and can ingeneral also contain one or more emulsifying agents, stabilizing agents,dispersing agents, suspending agents, thickening agents, or coloringagents. The construction and use of transdermal patches for the deliveryof pharmaceutical agents is well known in the art. See, e.g., U.S. Pat.Nos. 5,023,252, 4,992,445 and 5,001,139 which are hereby incorporated byreference in their entireties. Such patches can be constructed forcontinuous, pulsatile, or on demand delivery of pharmaceutical agents.

Lubricants which can be used to form pharmaceutical compositions anddosage forms include, but are not limited to, calcium stearate,magnesium stearate, mineral oil, light mineral oil, glycerin, sorbitol,mannitol, polyethylene glycol, other glycols, stearic acid, sodiumlauryl sulfate, talc, hydrogenated vegetable oil (e.g., peanut oil,cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, olive oil, corn oil, andsoybean oil), zinc stearate, ethyl oleate, ethyl laureate, agar, ormixtures thereof. Additional lubricants include, for example, a syloidsilica gel, a coagulated aerosol of synthetic silica, or mixturesthereof. A lubricant can optionally be added, in an amount of less thanabout 1 weight percent of the pharmaceutical composition.

A pharmaceutical compositions can treat prevent a disease or conditionin a subject. A pharmaceutical compositions can be in any form suitablefor topical application, including aqueous, aqueous-alcoholic or oilysolutions, lotion or serum dispersions, aqueous, anhydrous or oily gels,emulsions obtained by dispersion of a fatty phase in an aqueous phase(O/W or oil in water) or, conversely, (W/O or water in oil),microemulsions or alternatively microcapsules, microparticles or lipidvesicle dispersions of ionic and/or nonionic type. A pharmaceuticalcomposition can be prepared according to conventional methods. Apharmaceutical composition can be provided as a creams, milks, lotions,gels or foams for the face, for the hands, for the body and/or for themucous membranes, or for cleansing the skin. A pharmaceuticalcomposition can consist of solid preparations constituting soaps orcleansing bars.

A pharmaceutical composition can also contain adjuvants common to thecosmetic and dermatological fields, such as hydrophilic or lipophilicgelling agents, hydrophilic or lipophilic active agents, preservingagents, antioxidants, solvents, fragrances, fillers, sunscreens,odor-absorbers and dyestuffs. The amounts of these various adjuvants canbe those conventionally used in the fields considered and, for example,can be from about 0.01% to about 20% of the total weight of thecomposition. Depending on their nature, these adjuvants can beintroduced into the fatty phase, into the aqueous phase and/or into thelipid vesicles.

In another embodiment, an ocular infection can be effectively treatedwith ophthalmic solutions, suspensions, ointments or inserts comprisingan agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) or combination ofagents. Eye drops can be prepared by dissolving an agent (e.g., nucleicacid sequence or polypeptide) in a sterile aqueous solution such asphysiological saline, buffering solution, etc., or by combining powdercompositions to be dissolved before use. Other vehicles can be chosen,as are known in the art, including but not limited to: balance saltsolution, saline solution, water soluble polyethers such as polyethyeneglycol, polyvinyls, such as polyvinyl alcohol and povidone, cellulosederivatives such as methylcellulose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose,petroleum derivatives such as mineral oil and white petrolatum, animalfats such as lanolin, polymers of acrylic acid such ascarboxypolymethylene gel, vegetable fats such as peanut oil andpolysaccharides such as dextrans, and glycosaminoglycans such as sodiumhyaluronate. If desired, additives ordinarily used in the eye drops canbe added. Such additives include isotonizing agents (e.g., sodiumchloride, etc.), buffer agent (e.g., boric acid, sodium monohydrogenphosphate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, etc.), preservatives (e.g.,benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, chlorobutanol, etc.),thickeners (e.g., saccharide such as lactose, mannitol, maltose, etc.;e.g., hyaluronic acid or its salt such as sodium hyaluronate, potassiumhyaluronate, etc.; e.g., mucopolysaccharide such as chondroitin sulfate,etc.; e.g., sodium polyacrylate, carboxyvinyl polymer, crosslinkedpolyacrylate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, methylcellulose, hydroxy propyl methylcellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose,carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxy propyl cellulose or other agents knownto those skilled in the art).

The solubility of the components of the present compositions can beenhanced by a surfactant or other appropriate co-solvent in thecomposition. Such cosolvents include polysorbate 20, 60, and 80,Pluronic F68, F-84 and P-103, cyclodextrin, or other agents known tothose skilled in the art. Such co-solvents can be employed at a level offrom about 0.01% to 2% by weight.

A pharmaceutical composition can be packaged in multidose form.Preservatives can be used to prevent microbial contamination during use.Suitable preservatives include, e.g., benzalkonium chloride, thimerosal,chlorobutanol, methyl paraben, propyl paraben, phenylethyl alcohol,edetate disodium, sorbic acid, Onamer M, or other agents known to thoseskilled in the art. In ophthalmic products, such preservatives can beemployed at a level of from 0.004% to 0.02%. In the compositions of thepresent application the preservative, e.g., benzalkonium chloride, canbe employed at a level of from 0.001% to less than 0.01%, e.g. from0.001% to 0.008%, preferably about 0.005% by weight. A concentration ofbenzalkonium chloride of 0.005% can be sufficient to preserve apharmaceutical composition from microbial attack.

In another embodiment, an infection of the ear can be effectivelyprevented, inhibited, reduced, or treated with otic solutions,suspensions, ointments or inserts comprising a pharmaceuticalimmunostimulatory agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) orcombination of agents.

In another embodiment, a pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent (e.g.,nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) can be delivered in soluble ratherthan suspension form, which allows for more rapid and quantitativeabsorption to the sites of action. In general, formulations such asjellies, creams, lotions, suppositories and ointments can provide anarea with more extended exposure to the agents of the present invention,while formulations in solution, e.g., sprays, can provide immediate,short-term exposure.

In another embodiment relating to topical/local application, apharmaceutical composition can include one or more penetrationenhancers. For example, a pharmaceutical composition can comprisesuitable solid or gel phase carriers or excipients that increasepenetration or help delivery of a pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent(e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) or combinations of agentsacross a permeability barrier, e.g., the skin. Many of thesepenetration-enhancing compounds are known in the art of topicalformulation, and include, e.g., water, alcohols (e.g., terpenes likemethanol, ethanol, 2-propanol), sulfoxides (e.g., dimethyl sulfoxide,decylmethyl sulfoxide, tetradecylmethyl sulfoxide), pyrrolidones (e.g.,2-pyrrolidone, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)pyrrolidone),laurocapram, acetone, dimethylacetamide, dimethylformamide,tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, L-α-amino acids, anionic, cationic,amphoteric or nonionic surfactants (e.g., isopropyl myristate and sodiumlauryl sulfate), fatty acids, fatty alcohols (e.g., oleic acid), amines,amides, clofibric acid amides, hexamethylene lauramide, proteolyticenzymes, α-bisabolol, d-limonene, urea and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide, andthe like. Additional examples include humectants (e.g., urea), glycols(e.g., propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol), glycerol monolaurate,alkanes, alkanols, ORGELASE, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate,various sugars, starches, cellulose derivatives, gelatin, and/or otherpolymers. In another embodiment, a pharmaceutical compositions caninclude one or more such penetration enhancers.

In another embodiment, a pharmaceutical composition for local/topicalapplication can include one or more antimicrobial preservatives such asquaternary ammonium compounds, organic mercurials, p-hydroxy benzoates,aromatic alcohols, chlorobutanol, and the like.

Gastrointestinal infections can be effectively prevented, inhibited,reduced, or treated with orally- or rectally delivered solutions,suspensions, ointments, enemas and/or suppositories comprising an agent(e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) of the present invention.

Respiratory infections can be effectively prevented, inhibited, reduced,or treated with aerosol solutions, suspensions or dry powders comprisingan agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) or combination ofagents. Administration by inhalation can be useful in treating viralinfections of the lung. The aerosol can be administered through therespiratory system or nasal passages. For example, one skilled in theart will recognize that a pharmaceutical composition can be suspended ordissolved in an appropriate carrier, e.g., a pharmaceutically acceptablepropellant, and administered directly into the lungs using a nasal sprayor inhalant. For example, an aerosol formulation comprising an agent(e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) can be dissolved, suspendedor emulsified in a propellant or a mixture of solvent and propellant,e.g., for administration as a nasal spray or inhalant. Aerosolformulations can contain any acceptable propellant under pressure, suchas a cosmetically or dermatologically or pharmaceutically acceptablepropellant, as conventionally used in the art.

An aerosol formulation for nasal administration can generally be anaqueous solution designed to be administered to the nasal passages indrops or sprays. Nasal solutions can be similar to nasal secretions inthat they can be isotonic and slightly buffered to maintain a pH ofabout 5.5 to about 6.5, although pH values outside of this range canadditionally be used. Antimicrobial agents or preservatives can also beincluded in the formulation.

An aerosol formulation for inhalations and inhalants can be designed sothat an agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) orcombination of agents can be carried into the respiratory tree of thesubject when administered by the nasal or oral respiratory route.Inhalation solutions can be administered, for example, by a nebulizer.Inhalations or insufflations, comprising finely powdered or liquiddrugs, can be delivered to the respiratory system as a pharmaceuticalaerosol of a solution or suspension of the agent or combination ofagents in a propellant, e.g., to aid in disbursement. Propellants can beliquefied gases, including halocarbons, for example, fluorocarbons suchas fluorinated chlorinated hydrocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, andhydrochlorocarbons, as well as hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon ethers.

Halocarbon propellants can include fluorocarbon propellants in which allhydrogens are replaced with fluorine, chlorofluorocarbon propellants inwhich all hydrogens are replaced with chlorine and at least onefluorine, hydrogen-containing fluorocarbon propellants, andhydrogen-containing chlorofluorocarbon propellants. Halocarbonpropellants are described in Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,359, issuedDec. 27, 1994; Byron et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,029, issued Mar. 2,1993; and Purewal et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,434, issued Jul. 7, 1998which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.Hydrocarbon propellants can include, e.g., propane, isobutane, n-butane,pentane, isopentane and neopentane. A blend of hydrocarbons can also beused as a propellant. Ether propellants can include, e.g., dimethylether as well as the ethers. An aerosol formulation can also comprisemore than one propellant. For example, the aerosol formulation cancomprise more than one propellant from the same class, such as two ormore fluorocarbons; or more than one, more than two, more than threepropellants from different classes, such as a fluorohydrocarbon and ahydrocarbon. A pharmaceutical composition can also be dispensed with acompressed gas, e.g., an inert gas such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxideor nitrogen.

Aerosol formulations can also include other components, e.g., ethanol,isopropanol, propylene glycol, as well as surfactants or othercomponents such as oils and detergents. These components can serve tostabilize the formulation and/or lubricate valve components.

An aerosol formulation can be packaged under pressure and can beformulated as an aerosol using solutions, suspensions, emulsions,powders and semisolid preparations. For example, a solution aerosolformulation can comprise a solution of a pharmaceuticalimmunostimulatory agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) in(substantially) pure propellant or as a mixture of propellant andsolvent. The solvent can be used to dissolve the pharmaceuticalimmunostimulatory agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide)and/or retard the evaporation of the propellant. Solvents useful caninclude, e.g., water, ethanol and glycols. Any combination of suitablesolvents can be used, optionally combined with preservatives,antioxidants, and/or other aerosol components.

An aerosol formulation can also be a dispersion or suspension. Asuspension aerosol formulation can comprise a suspension of apharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence orpolypeptide) or combination of agents, and a dispersing agent.Dispersing agents can include, e.g., sorbitan trioleate, oleyl alcohol,oleic acid, lecithin and corn oil. A suspension aerosol formulation canalso include lubricants, preservatives, antioxidant, and/or otheraerosol components.

An aerosol formulation can be formulated as an emulsion. An emulsionaerosol formulation can include, e.g., an alcohol such as ethanol, asurfactant, water and a propellant, as well as an agent (e.g., nucleicacid sequence or polypeptide) or combination of agents. The surfactantused can be nonionic, anionic or cationic. One example of an emulsionaerosol formulation comprises, for example, ethanol, surfactant, waterand propellant. Another example of an emulsion aerosol formulationcomprises, for example, vegetable oil, glyceryl monostearate andpropane.

A pharmaceutical composition can be formulated for administration assuppositories. A low melting wax, such as a mixture of triglycerides,fatty acid glycerides, Witepsol S55 (trademark of Dynamite NobelChemical, Germany), or cocoa butter can be first melted and the activecomponent can be dispersed homogeneously, e.g., by stirring. The moltenhomogeneous mixture can then be poured into convenient sized molds,allowed to cool, and to solidify.

A pharmaceutical composition can be formulated for vaginaladministration. Pessaries, tampons, creams, gels, pastes, foams orsprays containing, in addition to an active ingredient, such carriers asare known in the art to be appropriate.

An agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) can be attachedreleasably to biocompatible polymers for use in sustained releaseformulations on, in or attached to inserts for topical, intraocular,periocular, or systemic administration. The controlled release from abiocompatible polymer can be used with a water soluble polymer to form ainstillable formulation. The controlled release from a biocompatiblepolymer, such as as, e.g., PLGA microspheres or nanospheres, can be usedin a formulation suitable for intra ocular implantation or injection forsustained release administration. Any suitable biodegradable andbiocompatible polymer can be used.

A pharmaceutical compositions can include compositions wherein apharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence orpolypeptide) is present in an effective amount, i.e., in an amounteffective to achieve therapeutic and/or prophylactic benefit in asubject. The actual amount effective for a particular application willdepend on the condition or conditions being treated, the condition ofthe subject, the formulation, and the route of administration, as wellas other factors known to those of skill in the art. Determination of aneffective amount of an agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence orpolypeptide) is well within the capabilities of those skilled in theart, in light of the disclosure herein, and will be determined usingroutine optimization techniques.

The effective amount for use in humans can be determined from animalmodels. For example, a dose for humans can be formulated to achievecirculating, liver, topical and/or gastrointestinal concentrations thathave been found to be effective in animals. One skilled in the art candetermine the effective amount for human use, especially in light of theanimal model experimental data described herein. Based on animal data,and other types of similar data, those skilled in the art can determinethe effective amounts of compositions of the present inventionappropriate for humans.

The effective amount when referring to an agent (e.g., nucleic acidsequence or polypeptide) or combination of agents can generally mean thedose ranges, modes of administration, formulations, etc., that have beenrecommended or approved by any of the various regulatory or advisoryorganizations in the medical or pharmaceutical arts (e.g., FDA, AMA) orby the manufacturer or supplier.

Appropriate doses for an agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence orpolypeptide) can be determined based on in vitro experimental results.For example, the in vitro potency of an agent can provide informationuseful in the development of effective in vivo dosages to achievesimilar biological effects.

In one embodiment, a pharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleicacids sequence encoding an antigen protein or a fragment thereof fusedto a human chemokine and a liposomal adjuvant is administered to a humansubject at sufficient dosage and frequency to treat or prevent a diseaseor condition. In one embodiment the pharmaceutical composition isadministered to the human subject once every two days, every three days,every five days, once a week, once every two weeks, once or twice amonth, once a year, twice a year, three times a year, four times a year,five times a year, six times a year, seven times a year, 8 times a year,9 times a year, 10 times a year, 11 times a year, 12 times a year, oncea decade, twice a decade, three times a decade. In another embodimentthe pharmaceutical composition is administered to the human subject 1-3×a week, 4-7× a week, 1-5× a month, 5-10× a month, 1-10× over six months,10-20× over six months, 1-12× a year or 12-24× a year. In anotherembodiment the pharmaceutical composition is administered to the humansubject once a week for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 weeks, once every other weekfor 3, 6, 9, 12, or 15 weeks, once a month for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6months, once every other month for 3, 6, 9, 12, or 15 months.

In another embodiment, a pharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleicacids sequence encoding an antigen protein or a fragment thereof fusedto a human chemokine and a liposomal adjuvant is administered to anon-human subject at sufficient dosage and frequency to treat or preventa disease or condition. In one embodiment the pharmaceutical compositionis administered to the non-human subject once every two days, everythree days, every five days, once a week, once every two weeks, once ortwice a month, once a year, twice a year, three times a year, four timesa year, five times a year, six times a year, seven times a year, 8 timesa year, 9 times a year, 10 times a year, 11 times a year, 12 times ayear, once a decade, twice a decade, three times a decade. In anotherembodiment the pharmaceutical composition is administered to thenon-human subject 1-3× a week, 4-7× a week, 1-5× a month, 5-10× a month,1-10× over six months, 10-20× over six months, 1-12× a year or 12-24×year. In another embodiment the pharmaceutical composition isadministered to the non-human subject once a week for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or6 weeks, once every other week for 3, 6, 9, 12, or 15 weeks, once amonth for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 months, once every other month for 3, 6,9, 12, or 15 months.

In another embodiment, a pharmaceutical composition comprising (e.g.,nucleic acid sequence or polypeptide) and an adjuvant can beadministered to a mammalian subject intermittently, for exampleadministration at least once every two days, every three days, everyfive days, once a week, once every two weeks, once or twice a month,once a year, twice a year, three times a year, four times a year, fivetimes a year, six times a year, seven times a year, 8 times a year, 9times a year, 10 times a year, 11 times a year, 12 times a year, once adecade, twice a decade, three times a decade, and the like. In anotherembodiment, the pharmaceutical composition can be administered at leastonce a day, twice a day, three times a day, four times a day, five timesa day, six times a day, eight times a day, nine times a day, ten times aday, or more.

In another embodiment, the amount, form of pharmaceutical composition,and/or amounts of the different forms of pharmaceutical composition canbe varied at different times of administration. A pharmaceuticalcomposition can be administered to a subject once a month, once a year,or once a decade.

Regulatory T Cell Inhibitor

In one embodiment, a pharmaceutical composition can comprise aregulatory T cell inhibitor. In another embodiment a regulatory T cellinhibitor can be administered to a human or non-human subject affectedby or at risk of being affected by a disease or condition. In anotherembodiment a regulatory T cell inhibitor can be administered with apharmaceutical composition disclosed herein to a human or non-humansubject affected by or at risk of being affected by a disease orcondition. A regulatory T can also be known as a T_(reg) cell orsuppressor T cell). A regulatory T cell can suppress activation of theimmune system. A regulatory T cell can help an organism maintaintolerance to self-antigens. Regulatory T cells can express CD8 (CD8+),CD4, CD25, and Foxp3. The T regulatory cell inhibitory agent can be, forexample, ONTAK, HuMax-Tac, Zenapax, or MDX-010 or a combination thereof.The T_(reg) agent can comprise an antibody, or a fragment thereof, whichspecifically binds to a T regulatory cell surface protein. The Tregulatory cell surface protein can be, for example, CD25 or CTLA4. Theantibody, or fragment thereof, can further comprise a radionuclide ortoxic moiety such that the antibody can kill the T regulatory cell.Antibodies that comprise a Treg agent can target a surface protein ofthe Treg cell, which include, for example, CD25, CD4, CD28, CD38, CD62L(selectin), OX-40 ligand (OX-40L), CTLA4, CCR4, CCR8, FOXP3, LAG3,CD103, NRP-1, or glucocorticoid-induced TNF receptor (GITR). The Tregagent can comprise a fusion protein, and the fusion protein can comprisea targeting moiety and a toxic moiety. The targeting moiety can comprisea ligand or portion thereof of a regulatory T cell surface protein. Theligand can be, for example, IL2, T cell receptor (TCR), MHCII, CD80,CD86, TARC, CCL17, CKLF1, CCL1, TCA-3, eotaxin, TER-1, E-cadherin, VEGF,semaphorin3a, CD134, CD31, CD62, CD38L, or glucocorticoid-induced TNFreceptor ligand (GITRL). The toxic moiety can comprise, for example,lectin, ricin, abrin, viscumin, modecin, diphtheria toxin, choleratoxin, gelonin, Pseudomonas exotoxin, Shigella toxin, botulinum toxin,tetanus toxin, calicheamicin, or pokeweed antiviral protein. Aregulatory T cell inhibitor can be, for example, an shRNA, siRNA, miRNA,antisense RNA, or ribozyme. Regulatory T cell inhibitors are described,e.g., in U.S. Patent Application No. 20090214533, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

V. Methods of Treatment or Prevention

In another aspect, methods of using pharmaceutical compositions and kitscomprising a pharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent (e.g., nucleic acidsequence or polypeptide) to prevent, inhibit, reduce the severity of, ortreat a condition are provided. In one embodiment, a method is providedto use pharmaceutical compositions or kits to prevent, inhibit, reducethe severity of, or treat a condition of an animal subject. The term“animal subject” as used herein includes humans as well as othermammals, e.g., mouse, cow, horse, camel, gorilla, chimpanzee, rabbit,pig, dog, cat, camel, rat, elephant, deer, rhinoceros, bear, weasel,seal, whale, dolphin, porpoise, bat, shrew, mole, hedgehog, squirrel,chipmunk, gopher, monkey, lemur, anteater, sloth, armadillo, manatee,sea cow, or aardvark.

The condition can be a disease or condition e.g., cancer, Alzheimer'sdisease, viral infection, bacterial infection, fungal infection,parasite infection, e.g., malaria.

The term “treating” as used herein includes achieving a therapeuticbenefit and/or a prophylactic benefit. By therapeutic benefit is meanteradication or amelioration of a condition. Also, a therapeutic benefitcan be achieved with the eradication or amelioration of one or more ofthe physiological symptoms associated with the underlying condition suchthat an improvement is observed in the animal subject, notwithstandingthe fact that the animal subject can still be afflicted with theunderlying condition.

For embodiments where treatment of a subject is desired, apharmaceutical composition disclosed herein can be administered to apatient with a disease or condition, such as cancer, Alzheimer'sdisease, viral infection, bacterial infection, fungal infection,parasite infection, e.g., malaria, or to a patient reporting one or moreof the physiological symptoms of a condition, even though a diagnosis ofthe condition may not have been made. Administration of a pharmaceuticalcomposition disclosed herein can treat, reduce, lessen, shorten and/orotherwise ameliorate the disease or condition. In one embodiment thepharmaceutical composition produces an immune response to an antigensufficient to treat infection by a disease or condition comprising theantigen. In one embodiment the pharmaceutical composition can modulatethe immune system.

For embodiments where a prophylactic benefit is desired (e.g.,prevention), a pharmaceutical composition of the invention can beadministered to a patient at risk of developing condition, such ascancer, Alzheimer's disease, viral infection, bacterial infection,fungal infection, parasite infection, e.g., malaria, or to a patientreporting one or more of the physiological symptoms of a condition, eventhough a diagnosis of the condition may not have been made.Administration can prevent the condition from developing, or it canreduce, lessen, shorten and/or otherwise ameliorate the disease orcondition that develops. In one embodiment the pharmaceuticalcomposition produces an immune response to an antigen sufficient toprevent infection by a disease comprising the antigen or development ofa condition comprising the antigen. In one embodiment the pharmaceuticalcomposition can modulate the immune system.

Provided herein also are kits that can be used to prevent, inhibit,reduce the severity of, or treat a condition. These kits comprise apharmaceutical immunostimulatory agent (e.g., nucleic acid sequence orpolypeptide) and some embodiments instructions teaching the use of thekit according to the various methods and approaches described herein.Such kits can also include information, such as scientific literaturereferences, package insert materials, clinical trial results, and/orsummaries of these and the like, which indicate or establish theactivities and/or advantages of the agent. Such information can be basedon the results of various studies, for example, studies usingexperimental animals involving in vivo models and studies based on humanclinical trials. Kits described herein can be provided, marketed and/orpromoted to health providers, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists,formulary officials, and the like.

In another aspect, a kit is provided comprising a nucleic acid sequenceencoding a parasite antigen fused to an immune cell product; and anadjuvant. In one embodiment, the adjuvant is a liposome. In anotherembodiment, the liposome is Vaxfectin.

In another aspect, a kit is provided comprising a polypeptide comprisinga parasite antigen fused to an immune cell product, and an adjuvant. Inone embodiment, the adjuvant is a liposome. In another embodiment, theliposome is Vaxfectin.

In one embodiment, administering a pharmaceutical composition to asubject comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a malaria antigenfused to an immune cell product, e.g., MIP-3α, and an adjuvant, e.g., aliposome comprising a commixture of GAP-DMORIE and DPyPE, results in asynergistic reduction in liver stage parasites in a mammal infected witha malaria parasite relative to the sum of the effects of administrationof a pharmaceutical composition comprising an adjuvant with a nucleicacid sequence that encodes the antigen without the immune cell productand a pharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acid encoding anantigen fused to an immune cell product but without the adjuvant.

In another aspect, a kit is provided comprising a nucleic acid sequenceencoding an antigen fused to MIP-3α, and an adjuvant. In one embodiment,the adjuvant is a liposome. In another embodiment, the liposome isVaxfectin.

In another aspect, a kit is provided comprising a nucleic acid sequenceencoding circumsporozoite protein or protein fragment from Plasmodiumfalciparum fused to MIP-3α, and an adjuvant. In one embodiment, theadjuvant is a liposome. In another embodiment, the liposome isVaxfectin.

VI. Non-Human Animal Models

Exemplary non-human animals that can be used to study the nucleic acidsequences, polypeptides, and pharmaceutical compositions describedherein can include mice, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, sheep, pigs, andprimates. Mouse models can be used to study malaria. In one embodiment,the non-human animal is an immunocompromised mouse, e.g., animmunocompromised mouse transgenic for urokinase-type plasminogenactivator (uPA), e.g., an immunocompromised mouse comprising a transgenethat provides for liver-specific production of uPA (e.g., an Alb-uPAtransgene, see, e.g., Heckel et al Cell 62:447 (1990)). Mice that can beused to study the nucleic acid sequences, polypeptides, andpharmaceutical compositions described herein include the strains C.B-17,C3H, BALB/c, C57131/6, AKR, BA, B10, 129, etc. The animal can be male orfemale.

BALB/c mice can be used to study infections, e.g., malaria infection.BALB/c mice are albino, laboratory-bred strain of mice that can be usedfor both cancer and immunology research. C57BL/6 mice can be used tostudy infections, e.g., malaria infection. JAX® Mice strainNOD.Cg-Prkdc^(scid) Il2rg^(tm1Wjl)/SzJ, 005557, abbreviated NSG for NODscid gamma, a NOD scid strain with a null mutation of the interleukin 2receptor gamma (IL2rg) chain, can be used to study antimalarial drugs.See e.g., Jimenez-Diaz et al. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. Vol. 53, pp.4533-6 (2009). Other mouse models for studying malaria infection aredescribed, e.g., in Angulo-Barturen I. et al. PLoS One, vol. 3 e2252(2008), and Mohmmed A. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. Vol. 309 pp. 506-11(2003), which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

Mouse models for studying malaria are described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No.7,273,963, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Mouse models are available for studying cancer. Mouse models forstudying cancer are disclosed in, e.g., Nature Reviews Cancer, vol. 7,pp. 654-658 (2007) which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

A mouse model of Alzheimer's disease is described, e.g., in Koldamova RP et al. Journal of Biological Chemistry vol. 280, 4079-4088 (2005)which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

A mouse model used to study herpes simplex virus infection is described,e.g., in Tuyama A C G. Et al. The Journal of Infectious Diseases vol.194, pp. 795-803 (2006) which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

A mouse model used to study hepatitis infection is described, e.g., inMorrissey D V. et al. Hepatology vol. 41, pp. 1349-1356 (2005) which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Animal models used to study simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), relatedto HIV, include rhesus macaques. See e.g., Ambrose Z. et al. Trends inBiotechnology vol. 25, pp. 33-337 (2007) which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

Guinea pigs models used to study influenza virus are described, e.g., inMubareka S. et al. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, vol. 199 pp.858-865 (2009) which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

EXAMPLES Example 1

C57BL/6 mice were immunized with 2 μg of the constructs (FIG. 1), andwere delivered as single injection in 100 μl of PBS or PBS formulatedwith Vaxfectin. Mice received three immunizations at bi-weekly intervals(i.e. over 6 weeks). For the control group, 10⁵ (initial immunization)and 5×10⁴ (booster immunizations) irradiated P. yoelii sporozoites(17XN) were inoculated by tail-vein injection at the same time-points.All challenges were accomplished by injecting 5×10³ sporozoites in thetail vein two weeks after last immunization. Results for antibodyresponses are illustrated in FIG. 2; results for protective efficacyagainst sporozoites challenge are illustrated in FIG. 3; and results forantibody neutralization activity are illustrated in FIG. 4.

Example 2

C57BL/6 mice were immunized with 2 μg of pCSP or pMCSP constructs (seeFIG. 1) and were delivered as single injection in 100μ1 of PBSformulated with Vaxfectin. Mice received three immunizations atbi-weekly intervals (i.e. over 6 weeks). To deplete the CD4+, CD8+, orboth T cell subsets, immunized mice were injected (intraperitoneal; i.p)with anti-CD4, anti-CD8, or both mAbs two weeks after last immunization.Twenty four hours later, the efficacy of the depletion was estimated bytwo-color flow cytometry analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes usingFITC-conjugated anti-CD4 or APC-conjugated anti-CD8 mAbs (FIG. 5). Datashow the CD4 and CD8 expression on combined peripheral lymphocytes ofthree mice in each group. Sporozoites challenge was performed byinjecting 2500 sporozoites in mice tail vein. FIG. 6 illustratesprotection mediated by immunization with Vaxfectin-formulated CSP orMCSP. Antibody response is illustrated in FIG. 7 and antibodyneutralization activity is illustrated in FIG. 8.

Example 3

C57BL/6 mice were immunized with 100 μl PBS or 2 μg of Vaxfectinformulated plasmids DNA (100 μl) (see FIG. 1). 24 or 48 hours later,injected muscles are harvested and total RNA is isolated. Indicatedcytokine or chemokine levels were analyzed by real-time PCR. FIG. 9illustrates real-time PCR evaluation of expression levels of cytokines(24 h after immunization). FIG. 10 illustrates real-time PCR evaluationof expression levels of cytokines (48 h after immunization).

Example 4

Materials and methods. Experiments in examples 1-3 were performed usingthe materials and methods described below.

Mice

Six- to eight-week-old female BALB/c (H-2d) mice or C57BL/6 (H-2b) micewere purchased from The Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, Me.) andmaintained in a pathogen-free micro-isolation facility in accordancewith the National Institutes of Health guidelines for the humane use oflaboratory animals. All experimental procedures involving mice wereapproved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the JohnsHopkins University.

Plasmids

The plasmid DNAs encoding P. yoelii circumsporozoite protein (pCSP)fused with MIP-3α (pCSP) are described in FIG. 1. Plasmid encodingMIP-3α is used as negative control. Plasmids were purified usingEndofree purification columns (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) and stored at−20° C. in PBS.

Vaxfectin Formulation

Formulations were prepared by adding 2 ml of 0.9% NaCl solution in 2.18mg of Vaxfectin (Vical, San Diego, Calif.). Then, the same volumes of 1mg/ml DNA and Vaxfectin were mixed, and the mixture was diluted to thedesired concentration with PBS.

Immunization

BALB/c mice or C57BL/6 mice were immunized with 2 ug of the constructsdescribed above, which were delivered as single injection in 100 ul ofPBS formulated with Vaxfectin. Mice received three immunizations atbi-weekly intervals (over 6 weeks). For the control group, 10⁵ (initialimmunization) and 5×10⁴ (booster immunizations) irradiated P. yoeliisporozoites (17XN) obtained from Anopheles stephensi maintained in theJohns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute insectary were inoculated bytail-vein injection at the same time-points.

Parasites for Challenge

P. yoelii parasites were used for challenge. Sporozoites were obtainedby hand dissection of infected mosquito salivary glands. The isolatedsporozoites were suspended in HBSS medium containing 1% normal mouseserum. All challenges were accomplished by injecting 5×10³ sporozoitesin the tail vein.

Immunogenicity Assay

Humoral immune responses to the immunodominant B cell epitope wasmeasured using variants of CSP-specific ELISA assays developed in thelaboratory of Dr. Fidel Zavala, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.CSP-epitope specific INF-γ ELISpots was measured by ELISpots assays (BDBiosciences).

Real-Time PCR for Liver Stage Parasites

Real-time PCR was used for the detection and quantification of the liverstages of Plasmodium yoelii parasites. Two specific primers,5′-GGGGATTGGTTTTGACGTTTTTGCG-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 29) (forward primer) and5′-AAGCATTAAATAAAGCGAATACATCCTTAT-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 30) (reverse primer),were designed to amplify the parasite 18S rRNA sequence. The primerswere selected based on the previously published P. yoelii (17XNL) 18SrRNA sequence (GeneBank accession number: U44379) using the PrimerExpress software (PE Applied Biosystems). Amplification with theseprimers generates a 133 bp fragment of the parasite 18S rRNA sequencethat contains the maximum number of critical mismatches to thehomologous sequence of the mouse 18S rRNA, thereby cross-amplificationof the mouse molecules is avoided.

Sporozoite Neutralization Assay

Sporozoite neutralization assay were performed in a total volume of 100ul that contained 1×10⁵ sporozoites in dissection medium and 10 ul ofimmune serum from each immunized mouse. The sporozoite mixtures wereincubated for 40 min on ice. The sporozoites were then added to HepG1.6cell cultures that were maintained at 37° C. in 5% CO₂. The incubationwas carried out for 48 h with changes of culture media every 24 h. Allneutralization assays were performed in duplicates. At the end of 48hours, the cells were harvested. Total RNA was isolated and reversetranscription is performed. 18s rRNA were detected and quantified byreal-time PCR.

In Vivo Depletion of T Cell Subsets

To deplete the CD4+, CD8+, or both T cell subsets, immunized mice areinjected i.p. with anti-CD4, anti-CD8 or both mAbs. Each mouse receiveddaily doses of 200 μg of anti-CD4 or anti-CD8 or both antibodies for twodays. The antibodies were provided by Dr. Fidel Zavala, Johns HopkinsSchool of Public Health. 24 h after the last immunization, the efficacyof the depletion was estimated by two-color flow cytometry analysis ofperipheral blood lymphocytes, using FITC-conjugated anti-CD4 orAPC-conjugated anti-CD8 mAbs.

Example 5 Membrane Bound Form of a P. falciparum Malaria Vaccine

DNA sequence (1504 bp)

(SEQ ID NO: 31) CTGCAGTCACCGTCGTCGACAGAGCTGAGATCCTACAGGAGTCCAGGGCTGGAGAGAAAACCTCTGCGAGGAAAAGGAAGGAGCAAGCCGTGAATTTAAGGGACGCTGTGAAGCAATCATGGATGCAATGAAGAGAGGGCTCTGCTGTGTGCTGCTGCTGTGTGGAGCAGTCTTCGTTTCGCCCAGCGGTACCGGATCCGCAGCAAGCAACTTTGACTGCTGTCTTGGATACACAGACCGTATTCTTCATCCTAAATTTATTGTGGGCTTCACACGGCAGCTGGCCAATGAAGGCTGTGACATCAATGCTATCATCTTTCACACAAAGAAAAAGTTGTCTGTGTGCGCAAATCCAAAACAGACTTGGGTGAAATATATTGTGCGTCTCCTCAGTAAAAAAGTCAAGAACATGGAATTCAACGACGCTCAGGCGCCGAAGAGTGGATCCATGATGCGCAAGCTGGCCATCCTGTCCGTGTCCTCCTTCCTGTTCGTGGAGGCCCTGTTCCAGGAGTACCAGTGCTACGGCTCCTCCTCCAACACCCGCGTGCTGAACGAGCTGAACTACGACAACGCCGGCACCAACCTGTACAACGAGCTGGAGATGAACTACTACGGCAAGCAGGAGAACTGGTACTCCCTGAAGAAGAACTCCCGCTCCCTGGGCGAGAACGACGACGGCAACAACGAGGACAACGAGAAGCTGCGCAAGCCCAAGCACAAGAAGCTGAAGCAGCCCGCCGACGGCAACCCCGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACAAGAACAACCAGGGCAACGGCCAGGGCCACAACATGCCCAACGACCCCAACCGCAACGTGGACGAGAACGCCAACGCCAACTCCGCCGTGAAGAACAACAACAACGAGGAGCCCTCCGACAAGCACATCAAGGAGTACCTGAACAAGATCCAGAACTCCCTGTCCACCGAGTGGTCCCCCTGCTCCGTGACCTGCGGCAACGGCATCCAGGTGCGCATCAAGCCCGGCTCCGCCAACAAGCCCAAGGACGAGCTGGACTACGCCAACGACATCGAGAAGAAAATCTGCAAGATGGAGAAGTGCTCCTCCGTGTTCAACGTGGTGAACTCCTCCATCGGCCTGATCATGGTGCTGTCCTTCCTGTTCCTGAACAGATCCGCAGAAGAACAGAAACTGATCTCAGAAGAGGATCTGTGATCTAG AAGATCT.

Single underlined sequence encodes signal sequence for translocation.Double underlined sequence encodes glycosylphatidylinositol (GPI) signalsequence.

Translated protein sequence (457 aa):

(SEQ ID NO: 32) MDAMKRGLCCVLLLCGAVFVSPSGTGSAASNFDCCLGYTDRILHPKFIVGFTRQLANEGCDINAIIFHTKKKLSVCANPKQTWVKYIVRLLSKKVKNMEFNDAQAPKSGSMMRKLAILSVSSFLFVEALFQEYQCYGSSSNTRVLNELNYDNAGTNLYNELEMNYYGKQENWYSLKKNSRSLGENDDGNNEDNEKLRKPKHKKLKQPADGNPDPNANPNVDPNANPNVDPNANPNVDPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNVDPNANPNANPNKNNQGNGQGHNMPNDPNRNVDENANANSAVKNNNNEEPSDKHIKEYLNKIQNSLSTEWSPCSVTCGNGIQVRIKPGSANKPKDELDYANDIEKKICKMEKCSSVFNVVNSSIGLIMVLSFLFLNRSAEEQK LISEEDL-.

Single underlined sequence is signal sequence for translocation.Double-underlined sequence is glycosylphatidylinositol (GPI) signalsequence.

Example 6 Secreted Form of Malaria Vaccine (GPI Deletion)

DNA sequence (1435 bp)

(SEQ ID NO: 33) CTGCAGTCACCGTCGTCGACAGAGCTGAGATCCTACAGGAGTCCAGGGCTGGAGAGAAAACCTCTGCGAGGAAAAGGAAGGAGCAAGCCGTGAATTTAAGGGACGCTGTGAAGCAATCATGGATGCAATGAAGAGAGGGCTCTGCTGTGTGCTGCTGCTGTGTGGAGCAGTCTTCGTTTCGCCCAGCGGTACCGGATCCGCAGCAAGCAACTTTGACTGCTGTCTTGGATACACAGACCGTATTCTTCATCCTAAATTTATTGTGGGCTTCACACGGCAGCTGGCCAATGAAGGCTGTGACATCAATGCTATCATCTTTCACACAAAGAAAAAGTTGTCTGTGTGCGCAAATCCAAAACAGACTTGGGTGAAATATATTGTGCGTCTCCTCAGTAAAAAAGTCAAGAACATGGAATTCAACGACGCTCAGGCGCCGAAGAGTGGATCCATGATGCGCAAGCTGGCCATCCTGTCCGTGTCCTCCTTCCTGTTCGTGGAGGCCCTGTTCCAGGAGTACCAGTGCTACGGCTCCTCCTCCAACACCCGCGTGCTGAACGAGCTGAACTACGACAACGCCGGCACCAACCTGTACAACGAGCTGGAGATGAACTACTACGGCAAGCAGGAGAACTGGTACTCCCTGAAGAAGAACTCCCGCTCCCTGGGCGAGAACGACGACGGCAACAACGAGGACAACGAGAAGCTGCGCAAGCCCAAGCACAAGAAGCTGAAGCAGCCCGCCGACGGCAACCCCGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACAAGAACAACCAGGGCAACGGCCAGGGCCACAACATGCCCAACGACCCCAACCGCAACGTGGACGAGAACGCCAACGCCAACTCCGCCGTGAAGAACAACAACAACGAGGAGCCCTCCGACAAGCACATCAAGGAGTACCTGAACAAGATCCAGAACTCCCTGTCCACCGAGTGGTCCCCCTGCTCCGTGACCTGCGGCAACGGCATCCAGGTGCGCATCAAGCCCGGCTCCGCCAACAAGCCCAAGGACGAGCTGGACTACGCCAACGACATCGAGAAGAAAATCTGCAAGATGGAGAAGTGCAGATCCGCAGAAGAACAGAAACTGATCTCAGAAGAGGATCTGTGATCTAGAAGATCT.

Translated protein sequence (434 aa):

(SEQ ID NO: 34) MDAMKRGLCCVLLLCGAVFVSPSGTGSAASNFDCCLGYTDRILHPKFIVGFTRQLANEGCDINAIIFHTKKKLSVCANPKQTWVKYIVRLLSKKVKNMEFNDAQAPKSGSMMRKLAILSVSSFLFVEALFQEYQCYGSSSNTRVLNELNYDNAGTNLYNELEMNYYGKQENWYSLKKNSRSLGENDDGNNEDNEKLRKPKHKKLKQPADGNPDPNANPNVDPNANPNVDPNANPNVDPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNVDPNANPNANPNKNNQGNGQGHNMPNDPNRNVDENANANSAVKNNNNEEPSDKHIKEYLNKIQNSLSTEWSPCSVTCGNGIQVRIKPGSANKPKDELDYANDIEKKICKMEKCRSAEEQKLISEEDL-.

Example 7 Secreted Form of Malaria Vaccine (Signal Sequence forTranslocation and GPI Double Deletion)

DNA sequence (1375 bp)

(SEQ ID NO: 35) CTGCAGTCACCGTCGTCGACAGAGCTGAGATCCTACAGGAGTCCAGGGCTGGAGAGAAAACCTCTGCGAGGAAAAGGAAGGAGCAAGCCGTGAATTTAAGGGACGCTGTGAAGCAATCATGGATGCAATGAAGAGAGGGCTCTGCTGTGTGCTGCTGCTGTGTGGAGCAGTCTTCGTTTCGCCCAGCGGTACCGGATCCGCAGCAAGCAACTTTGACTGCTGTCTTGGATACACAGACCGTATTCTTCATCCTAAATTTATTGTGGGCTTCACACGGCAGCTGGCCAATGAAGGCTGTGACATCAATGCTATCATCTTTCACACAAAGAAAAAGTTGTCTGTGTGCGCAAATCCAAAACAGACTTGGGTGAAATATATTGTGCGTCTCCTCAGTAAAAAAGTCAAGAACATGGAATTCAACGACGCTCAGGCGCCGAAGAGTGGATCCATGGAGTACCAGTGCTACGGCTCCTCCTCCAACACCCGCGTGCTGAACGAGCTGAACTACGACAACGCCGGCACCAACCTGTACAACGAGCTGGAGATGAACTACTACGGCAAGCAGGAGAACTGGTACTCCCTGAAGAAGAACTCCCGCTCCCTGGGCGAGAACGACGACGGCAACAACGAGGACAACGAGAAGCTGCGCAAGCCCAAGCACAAGAAGCTGAAGCAGCCCGCCGACGGCAACCCCGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACAAGAACAACCAGGGCAACGGCCAGGGCCACAACATGCCCAACGACCCCAACCGCAACGTGGACGAGAACGCCAACGCCAACTCCGCCGTGAAGAACAACAACAACGAGGAGCCCTCCGACAAGCACATCAAGGAGTACCTGAACAAGATCCAGAACTCCCTGTCCACCGAGTGGTCCCCCTGCTCCGTGACCTGCGGCAACGGCATCCAGGTGCGCATCAAGCCCGGCTCCGCCAACAAGCCCAAGGACGAGCTGGACTACGCCAACGACATCGAGAAGAAAATCTGCAAGATGGAGAAGTGCAGATCCGCAGAAGAACAGAAACTGATCTCAGAAGAGGATCTGTGATCTAGAAGATCT.

Translated protein sequence (414 aa):

(SEQ ID NO: 36) MDAMKRGLCCVLLLCGAVFVSPSGTGSAASNFDCCLGYTDRILHPKFIVGFTRQLANEGCDINAIIFHTKKKLSVCANPKQTWVKYIVRLLSKKVKNMEFNDAQAPKSGSMEYQCYGSSSNTRVLNELNYDNAGTNLYNELEMNYYGKQENWYSLKKNSRSLGENDDGNNEDNEKLRKPKHKKLKQPADGNPDPNANPNVDPNANPNVDPNANPNVDPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNVDPNANPNANPNKNNQGNGQGHNMPNDPNRNVDENANANSAVKNNNNEEPSDKHIKEYLNKIQNSLSTEWSPCSVTCGNGIQVRIKPGSANKPKDELDYANDIEKKICKMEKC RSAEEQKLISEEDL-.

Example 8 Membrane Bound Form of a Malaria Vaccine

DNA sequence(1504 bp)

(SEQ ID NO: 31) CTGCAGTCACCGTCGTCGACAGAGCTGAGATCCTACAGGAGTCCAGGGCTGGAGAGAAAACCTCTGCGAGGAAAAGGAAGGAGCAAGCCGTGAATTTAAGGGACGCTGTGAAGCAATCATGGATGCAATGAAGAGAGGGCTCTGCTGTGTGCTGCTGCTGTGTGGAGCAGTCTTCGTTTCGCCCAGCGGTACCGGATCCGCAGCAAGCAACTTTGACTGCTGTCTTGGATACACAGACCGTATTCTTCATCCTAAATTTATTGTGGGCTTCACACGGCAGCTGGCCAATGAAGGCTGTGACATCAATGCTATCATCTTTCACACAAAGAAAAAGTTGTCTGTGTGCGCAAATCCAAAACAGACTTGGGTGAAATATATTGTGCGTCTCCTCAGTAAAAAAGTCAAGAACATGGAATTCAACGACGCTCAGGCGCCGAAGAGTGGATCCATGATGCGCAAGCTGGCCATCCTGTCCGTGTCCTCCTTCCTGTTCGTGGAGGCCCTGTTCCAGGAGTACCAGTGCTACGGCTCCTCCTCCAACACCCGCGTGCTGAACGAGCTGAACTACGACAACGCCGGCACCAACCTGTACAACGAGCTGGAGATGAACTACTACGGCAAGCAGGAGAACTGGTACTCCCTGAAGAAGAACTCCCGCTCCCTGGGCGAGAACGACGACGGCAACAACGAGGACAACGAGAAGCTGCGCAAGCCCAAGCACAAGAAGCTGAAGCAGCCCGCCGACGGCAACCCCGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACAAGAACAACCAGGGCAACGGCCAGGGCCACAACATGCCCAACGACCCCAACCGCAACGTGGACGAGAACGCCAACGCCAACTCCGCCGTGAAGAACAACAACAACGAGGAGCCCTCCGACAAGCACATCAAGGAGTACCTGAACAAGATCCAGAACTCCCTGTCCACCGAGTGGTCCCCCTGCTCCGTGACCTGCGGCAACGGCATCCAGGTGCGCATCAAGCCCGGCTCCGCCAACAAGCCCAAGGACGAGCTGGACTACGCCAACGACATCGAGAAGAAAATCTGCAAGATGGAGAAGTGCTCCTCCGTGTTCAACGTGGTGAACTCCTCCATCGGCCTGATCATGGTGCTGTCCTTCCTGTTCCTGAACAGATCCGCAGAAGAACAGAAACTGATCTCAGAAGAGGATCTGTGATCTAGAAG ATCT.

Translated Protein sequence (457 aa):

(SEQ ID NO: 32) MDAMKRGLCCVLLLCGAVFVSPSGTGSAASNFDCCLGYTDRILHPKFIVGFTRQLANEGCDINAIIFHTKKKLSVCANPKQTWVKYIVRLLSKKVKNMEFNDAQAPKSGSMMRKLAILSVSSFLFVEALFQEYQCYGSSSNTRVLNELNYDNAGTNLYNELEMNYYGKQENWYSLKKNSRSLGENDDGNNEDNEKLRKPKHKKLKQPADGNPDPNANPNVDPNANPNVDPNANPNVDPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNVDPNANPNANPNKNNQGNGQGHNMPNDPNRNVDENANANSAVKNNNNEEPSDKHIKEYLNKIQNSLSTEWSPCSVTCGNGIQVRIKPGSANKPKDELDYANDIEKKICKMEKCSSVFNVVNSSIGLIMVLSFLFLNRSAEEQK LISEEDL-.

The underlined sequence is deleted in the secreted form in Example 10.

Example 9 Secreted Form of a Malaria Vaccine

DNA sequence(1435 bp)

(SEQ ID NO: 33) CTGCAGTCACCGTCGTCGACAGAGCTGAGATCCTACAGGAGTCCAGGGCTGGAGAGAAAACCTCTGCGAGGAAAAGGAAGGAGCAAGCCGTGAATTTAAGGGACGCTGTGAAGCAATCATGGATGCAATGAAGAGAGGGCTCTGCTGTGTGCTGCTGCTGTGTGGAGCAGTCTTCGTTTCGCCCAGCGGTACCGGATCCGCAGCAAGCAACTTTGACTGCTGTCTTGGATACACAGACCGTATTCTTCATCCTAAATTTATTGTGGGCTTCACACGGCAGCTGGCCAATGAAGGCTGTGACATCAATGCTATCATCTTTCACACAAAGAAAAAGTTGTCTGTGTGCGCAAATCCAAAACAGACTTGGGTGAAATATATTGTGCGTCTCCTCAGTAAAAAAGTCAAGAACATGGAATTCAACGACGCTCAGGCGCCGAAGAGTGGATCCATGATGCGCAAGCTGGCCATCCTGTCCGTGTCCTCCTTCCTGTTCGTGGAGGCCCTGTTCCAGGAGTACCAGTGCTACGGCTCCTCCTCCAACACCCGCGTGCTGAACGAGCTGAACTACGACAACGCCGGCACCAACCTGTACAACGAGCTGGAGATGAACTACTACGGCAAGCAGGAGAACTGGTACTCCCTGAAGAAGAACTCCCGCTCCCTGGGCGAGAACGACGACGGCAACAACGAGGACAACGAGAAGCTGCGCAAGCCCAAGCACAAGAAGCTGAAGCAGCCCGCCGACGGCAACCCCGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACAAGAACAACCAGGGCAACGGCCAGGGCCACAACATGCCCAACGACCCCAACCGCAACGTGGACGAGAACGCCAACGCCAACTCCGCCGTGAAGAACAACAACAACGAGGAGCCCTCCGACAAGCACATCAAGGAGTACCTGAACAAGATCCAGAACTCCCTGTCCACCGAGTGGTCCCCCTGCTCCGTGACCTGCGGCAACGGCATCCAGGTGCGCATCAAGCCCGGCTCCGCCAACAAGCCCAAGGACGAGCTGGACTACGCCAACGACATCGAGAAGAAAATCTGCAAGATGGAGAAGTGCAGATCCGCAGAAGAACAGAAACTGATCTCAGAAGAGGATCTGTGATCTAGAAGATCT.

Translated Protein sequence (434 aa):

(SEQ ID NO: 34) MDAMKRGLCCVLLLCGAVFVSPSGTGSAASNFDCCLGYTDRILHPKFIVGFTRQLANEGCDINAIIFHTKKKLSVCANPKQTWVKYIVRLLSKKVKNMEFNDAQAPKSGSMMRKLAILSVSSFLFVEALFQEYQCYGSSSNTRVLNELNYDNAGTNLYNELEMNYYGKQENWYSLKKNSRSLGENDDGNNEDNEKLRKPKHKKLKQPADGNPDPNANPNVDPNANPNVDPNANPNVDPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNVDPNANPNANPNKNNQGNGQGHNMPNDPNRNVDENANANSAVKNNNNEEPSDKHIKEYLNKIQNSLSTEWSPCSVTCGNGIQVRIKPGSANKPKDELDYANDIEKKICKMEKCRSAEEQKLISEEDL-.

Example 10 Immunization with Chemokine-Fusion Vaccines Enables CrossPresentation of Immunogens

Introduction of a melanoma-derived protein antigen (gp100) by fusion toMIP-3α results in cross-presentation via class I molecules to CD8 Tcells. In one experiment bone marrow derived iDC from naïve C57BL/6 micewere co-incubated with splenocytes from gp100-immune C57BL/6 mice andiDC in the presence of 0.1 μg/ml MIP3α-gp100. After 24 hours IFN-γconcentrations of 425 pg/ml were attained in the culture supernatantfluid. Control DC treated with gp100 alone secreted 100 pg/ml of IFN-γ(background levels). The response was MHC class I dependent; secretedIFN-γ release was reduced significantly to 30 pg/ml. in the presence ofspecific anti-class I mAb. In a second series of experiments (FIG. 11)it was shown that lactacystin, a specific inhibitor of the proteosomalprocessing that is required for Class I presentation, could reduce IFN-γrelease in response to MIP3α-gp100 in excess of 90%. This effect was notdue to toxic effects of lactacystin, since lactacystin treatment did notaffect presentation of chemokine fused antigens to CD4 T cells via MHCclass II presentation (57). Thus uptake directed to iDC is able toactivate both Class I and Class II restricted T cell responses, due tocross presentation of antigen. This allows for development of both theCD8 T-cell-mediated cytotoxic responses that might eliminate infectedcells, but also the CD4 T cell-mediated helper responses that wouldensure that the cytotoxic responses and any antibody responses thatmight be generated are optimized

Example 11 A MIP-3 Alpha-Encoding DNA Fusion Vaccine Markedly EnhancesImmune Responses to P. yoelii CSP Antigens Over and Above the EnhancedImmunity Achieved by In Vivo Electroporation

Pilot studies have been conducted to evaluate the ability of thechemokine-fusion approach to enhance responses to a candidate P. yoeliivaccine in BALB/c mice. A DNA construct (FIG. 12) composed of theSYVPSAEQI (SEQ ID NO: 37) immunodominant P. yoelii Class I-restricted Tcell epitope and the (QGPGAP)4 (SEQ ID NO: 38) immunodominant P. yoeliiB cell epitope were combined with the pan T-cell helper epitope (PADRE)for the class II MHC-restricted epitope of the CSP to maximizeresponses. The PADRE epitope has been shown to stimulate helper T cellsthat enhance B and Class I-restricted T cell responses across a widerange of human and mouse class II MHC allotypes. In this initialconstruct DNA encoding a spacer peptide, (Gly3Ser)3GlySer (SEQ ID NO:3), was placed between the DNA encoding CSP peptides and that encodingthe MIP-3α protein to ensure proper folding of the MIP-3α. Mice receivedthree immunizations of 40 to 50 μg DNA by electroporation at bi-weekly(every two weeks) intervals. Serum was obtained for determination ofantibody levels prior to each immunization and two weeks after the lastimmunization. At the time of the last bleed for serum antibody levels,mice were euthanized and spleen cells were removed for enumeration ofinterferon gamma secreting cells using standard ELISpot proceduresfollowing incubation with the SYVPSAEQI peptide (SEQ ID NO: 37). Resultsof these studies are shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. A standard t-test wasused to evaluate the significance of the observed differences. It isparticularly striking that ELISpot responses were 1.5 to 2 orders ofmagnitude higher in mice receiving the MIP-3α fusion construct comparedto those receiving a construct lacking the chemokine gene. It shouldalso be noted that the results are reported as per 10⁵ spleen cells, asopposed to results typically reported as per 10⁶ spleen cells.

Example 12 Comparison of Immune Responses Elicited by MIP-3α-CSP FusionDNA Vaccine with Irradiated Sporozoites

Pilot studies were undertaken comparing the response of the MIP-3α-CSPfusion DNA vaccine (FIG. 15) with irradiated sporozoites. For this studymice were immunized via electroporation with a new vaccine construct inwhich PADRE used in the previous construct was replaced by theYNRNIVNRLLGDALNGKPEEK (SEQ ID NO: 39) Class II MHC T cell epitopederived from the CSP protein. The responses to this vaccine and acontrol DNA construct lacking the CSP epitopes (40 to 50 μg DNAadministered by electroporation followed by two boosts at 4 weekintervals) were compared to the response to 50,000 irradiated P. yoeliisporozoites followed by two boosts of 25,000 irradiated sporozoites at 4week intervals. Two weeks after the final immunization mice were bledfor antibody concentrations and euthanized to obtain spleen cells todetermine Elispot responses and the frequency of T cells binding atetramer consisting of the mouse H-2K^(b) antigen and the SYVPSAEQI (SEQID NO: 37) Class I restricted epitope included in the vaccine. Tetramerswere provided by Dr. Zavala and prepared as previously described(Hafalla J. C. et al. J. Immunol. Vol. 171, pp. 964-970 (2003)).Responses to the different vaccines are shown in FIG. 16. For a controlimmunized mouse, 0.05% of CD8-bearing T cells bound the tetramer,compared to 0.72% of T cells from a mouse immunized with the MIP-3α-CSPfusion construct and 0.33% of T cells from a mouse immunized with theirradiated sporozoites. Antibody responses were equivalent betweenrecipients of the sporozoite vaccine vs. the fusion vaccine, whileElispot responses to the Class I restricted epitope were an order ofmagnitude higher in the recipients of the fusion vaccine compared tothat in recipients of the sporozoite vaccine.

Example 13

A DNA vaccine was prepared using DNA encoding CSP of Plasmodium yoelli(P. yoelli) fused to DNA encoding murine MIP-3α separated by DNAencoding a linker peptide (EFNDAQAPKS (SEQ ID NO: 40)). Both Balb/cmice, which are known to develop both humoral and CD8+ T-cell responseto CSP, and C57Bl/6 mice, for which CD8+ T-cell responses to CSP havenot been demonstrated, were immunized on three occasions with this DNAconstruct in combination with Vaxfectin adjuvant, along with variouscontrols, including, but not limited to, the “gold standard” control ofirradiated sporozoites, as well as the DNA construct administered byelectroporation to improve in vivo transfection of the DNA into hostcells. Two to three weeks after the final immunization all of the micewere challenged intravenously with 5000 live sporozoites and 48 hourslater the mice were euthanized and the presence of P. yoelii ribosomalRNA in the mouse liver was quantitated using reverse transcribedquantitative polymerase chain reaction. As is evident from the FIG. 17,the MIP-3 alpha+Vaxfectin provided the best protection among the DNAvaccines. In the case of C57Bl/6 mice, the parasite load was reduced byfour orders of magnitude and was equivalent to that observed withirradiated sporozoites. For the Balb/c mice the parasite load was onlyreduced by a single order of magnitude with the MIP-3 alphaCSP-Vaxfectin immunization, but these mice can be more susceptible toinfection, as evidenced by the higher parasite load in the livers ofcontrol mice. Natural infection transmitted by mosquito can result inexposure of the host to between 1 and 1000 malaria sporozoites,considerably below the challenge levels used in the current studies.

Example 14 Vector VR1012 (4913 bp; Map in FIG. 19)

(SEQ ID NO: 41) TCGCGCGTTTCGGTGATGACGGTGAAAACCTCTGACACATGCAGCTCCCGGAGACGGTCACAGCTTGTCTGTAAGCGGATGCCGGGAGCAGACAAGCCCGTCAGGGCGCGTCAGCGGGTGTTGGCGGGTGTCGGGGCTGGCTTAACTATGCGGCATCAGAGCAGATTGTACTGAGAGTGCACCATATGCGGTGTGAAATACCGCACAGATGCGTAAGGAGAAAATACCGCATCAGATTGGCTATTGGCCATTGCATACGTTGTATCCATATCATAATATGTACATTTATATTGGCTCATGTCCAACATTACCGCCATGTTGACATTGATTATTGACTAGTTATTAATAGTAATCAATTACGGGGTCATTAGTTCATAGCCCATATATGGAGTTCCGCGTTACATAACTTACGGTAAATGGCCCGCCTGGCTGACCGCCCAACGACCCCCGCCCATTGACGTCAATAATGACGTATGTTCCCATAGTAACGCCAATAGGGACTTTCCATTGACGTCAATGGGTGGAGTATTTACGGTAAACTGCCCACTTGGCAGTACATCAAGTGTATCATATGCCAAGTACGCCCCCTATTGACGTCAATGACGGTAAATGGCCCGCCTGGCATTATGCCCAGTACATGACCTTATGGGACTTTCCTACTTGGCAGTACATCTACGTATTAGTCATCGCTATTACCATGGTGATGCGGTTTTGGCAGTACATCAATGGGCGTGGATAGCGGTTTGACTCACGGGGATTTCCAAGTCTCCACCCCATTGACGTCAATGGGAGTTTGTTTTGGCACCAAAATCAACGGGACTTTCCAAAATGTCGTAACAACTCCGCCCCATTGACGCAAATGGGCGGTAGGCGTGTACGGTGGGAGGTCTATATAAGCAGAGCTCGTTTAGTGAACCGTCAGATCGCCTGGAGACGCCATCCACGCTGTTTTGACCTCCATAGAAGACACCGGGACCGATCCAGCCTCCGCGGCCGGGAACGGTGCATTGGAACGCGGATTCCCCGTGCCAAGAGTGACGTAAGTACCGCCTATAGACTCTATAGGCACACCCCTTTGGCTCTTATGCATGCTATACTGTTTTTGGCTTGGGGCCTATACACCCCCGCTTCCTTATGCTATAGGTGATGGTATAGCTTAGCCTATAGGTGTGGGTTATTGACCATTATTGACCACTCCCCTATTGGTGACGATACTTTCCATTACTAATCCATAACATGGCTCTTTGCCACAACTATCTCTATTGGCTATATGCCAATACTCTGTCCTTCAGAGACTGACACGGACTCTGTATTTTTACAGGATGGGGTCCCATTTATTATTTACAAATTCACATATACAACAACGCCGTCCCCCGTGCCCGCAGTTTTTATTAAACATAGCGTGGGATCTCCACGCGAATCTCGGGTACGTGTTCCGGACATGGGCTCTTCTCCGGTAGCGGCGGAGCTTCCACATCCGAGCCCTGGTCCCATGCCTCCAGCGGCTCATGGTCGCTCGGCAGCTCCTTGCTCCTAACAGTGGAGGCCAGACTTAGGCACAGCACAATGCCCACCACCACCAGTGTGCCGCACAAGGCCGTGGCGGTAGGGTATGTGTCTGAAAATGAGCGTGGAGATTGGGCTCGCACGGCTGACGCAGATGGAAGACTTAAGGCAGCGGCAGAAGAAGATGCAGGCAGCTGAGTTGTTGTATTCTGATAAGAGTCAGAGGTAACTCCCGTTGCGGTGCTGTTAACGGTGGAGGGCAGTGTAGTCTGAGCAGTACTCGTTGCTGCCGCGCGCGCCACCAGACATAATAGCTGACAGACTAACAGACTGTTCCTTTCCATGGGTCTTTTCTGCAGTCACCGTCGTCGACACGTGTGATCAGATATCGCGGCCGCTCTAGACCAGGCGCCTGGATCCAGATCTGCTGTGCCTTCTAGTTGCCAGCCATCTGTTGTTTGCCCCTCCCCCGTGCCTTCCTTGACCCTGGAAGGTGCCACTCCCACTGTCCTTTCCTAATAAAATGAGGAAATTGCATCGCATTGTCTGAGTAGGTGTCATTCTATTCTGGGGGGTGGGGTGGGGCAGGACAGCAAGGGGGAGGATTGGGAAGACAATAGCAGGCATGCTGGGGATGCGGTGGGCTCTATGGGTACCCAGGTGCTGAAGAATTGACCCGGTTCCTCCTGGGCCAGAAAGAAGCAGGCACATCCCCTTCTCTGTGACACACCCTGTCCACGCCCCTGGTTCTTAGTTCCAGCCCCACTCATAGGACACTCATAGCTCAGGAGGGCTCCGCCTTCAATCCCACCCGCTAAAGTACTTGGAGCGGTCTCTCCCTCCCTCATCAGCCCACCAAACCAAACCTAGCCTCCAAGAGTGGGAAGAAATTAAAGCAAGATAGGCTATTAAGTGCAGAGGGAGAGAAAATGCCTCCAACATGTGAGGAAGTAATGAGAGAAATCATAGAATTTCTTCCGCTTCCTCGCTCACTGACTCGCTGCGCTCGGTCGTTCGGCTGCGGCGAGCGGTATCAGCTCACTCAAAGGCGGTAATACGGTTATCCACAGAATCAGGGGATAACGCAGGAAAGAACATGTGAGCAAAAGGCCAGCAAAAGGCCAGGAACCGTAAAAAGGCCGCGTTGCTGGCGTTTTTCCATAGGCTCCGCCCCCCTGACGAGCATCACAAAAATCGACGCTCAAGTCAGAGGTGGCGAAACCCGACAGGACTATAAAGATACCAGGCGTTTCCCCCTGGAAGCTCCCTCGTGCGCTCTCCTGTTCCGACCCTGCCGCTTACCGGATACCTGTCCGCCTTTCTCCCTTCGGGAAGCGTGGCGCTTTCTCATAGCTCACGCTGTAGGTATCTCAGTTCGGTGTAGGTCGTTCGCTCCAAGCTGGGCTGTGTGCACGAACCCCCCGTTCAGCCCGACCGCTGCGCCTTATCCGGTAACTATCGTCTTGAGTCCAACCCGGTAAGACACGACTTATCGCCACTGGCAGCAGCCACTGGTAACAGGATTAGCAGAGCGAGGTATGTAGGCGGTGCTACAGAGTTCTTGAAGTGGTGGCCTAACTACGGCTACACTAGAAGAACAGTATTTGGTATCTGCGCTCTGCTGAAGCCAGTTACCTTCGGAAAAAGAGTTGGTAGCTCTTGATCCGGCAAACAAACCACCGCTGGTAGCGGTGGTTTTTTTGTTTGCAAGCAGCAGATTACGCGCAGAAAAAAAGGATCTCAAGAAGATCCTTTGATCTTTTCTACGGGGTCTGACGCTCAGTGGAACGAAAACTCACGTTAAGGGATTTTGGTCATGAGATTATCAAAAAGGATCTTCACCTAGATCCTTTTAAATTAAAAATGAAGTTTTAAATCAATCTAAAGTATATATGAGTAAACTTGGTCTGACAGTTACCAATGCTTAATCAGTGAGGCACCTATCTCAGCGATCTGTCTATTTCGTTCATCCATAGTTGCCTGACTCCGGGGGGGGGGGGCGCTGAGGTCTGCCTCGTGAAGAAGGTGTTGCTGACTCATACCAGGCCTGAATCGCCCCATCATCCAGCCAGAAAGTGAGGGAGCCACGGTTGATGAGAGCTTTGTTGTAGGTGGACCAGTTGGTGATTTTGAACTTTTGCTTTGCCACGGAACGGTCTGCGTTGTCGGGAAGATGCGTGATCTGATCCTTCAACTCAGCAAAAGTTCGATTTATTCAACAAAGCCGCCGTCCCGTCAAGTCAGCGTAATGCTCTGCCAGTGTTACAACCAATTAACCAATTCTGATTAGAAAAACTCATCGAGCATCAAATGAAACTGCAATTTATTCATATCAGGATTATCAATACCATATTTTTGAAAAAGCCGTTTCTGTAATGAAGGAGAAAACTCACCGAGGCAGTTCCATAGGATGGCAAGATCCTGGTATCGGTCTGCGATTCCGACTCGTCCAACATCAATACAACCTATTAATTTCCCCTCGTCAAAAATAAGGTTATCAAGTGAGAAATCACCATGAGTGACGACTGAATCCGGTGAGAATGGCAAAAGCTTATGCATTTCTTTCCAGACTTGTTCAACAGGCCAGCCATTACGCTCGTCATCAAAATCACTCGCATCAACCAAACCGTTATTCATTCGTGATTGCGCCTGAGCGAGACGAAATACGCGATCGCTGTTAAAAGGACAATTACAAACAGGAATCGAATGCAACCGGCGCAGGAACACTGCCAGCGCATCAACAATATTTTCACCTGAATCAGGATATTCTTCTAATACCTGGAATGCTGTTTTCCCGGGGATCGCAGTGGTGAGTAACCATGCATCATCAGGAGTACGGATAAAATGCTTGATGGTCGGAAGAGGCATAAATTCCGTCAGCCAGTTTAGTCTGACCATCTCATCTGTAACATCATTGGCAACGCTACCTTTGCCATGTTTCAGAAACAACTCTGGCGCATCGGGCTTCCCATACAATCGATAGATTGTCGCACCTGATTGCCCGACATTATCGCGAGCCCATTTATACCCATATAAATCAGCATCCATGTTGGAATTTAATCGCGGCCTCGAGCAAGACGTTTCCCGTTGAATATGGCTCATAACACCCCTTGTATTACTGTTTATGTAAGCAGACAGTTTTATTGTTCATGATGATATATTTTTATCTTGTGCAATGTAACATCAGAGATTTTGAGACACAACGTGGCTTTCCCCCCCCCCCCATTATTGAAGCATTTATCAGGGTTATTGTCTCATGAGCGGATACATATTTGAATGTATTTAGAAAAATAAACAAATAGGGGTTCCGCGCACATTTCCCCGAAAAGTGCCACCTGACGTCTAAGAAACCATTATTATCATGACATTAACCTATAAAAATAGGCGTATCACG AGGCCCTTTCGTC.

Example 15 Partial Sequence of hTPA and its Leader Sequence (Underlined)Included in Construct (Restriction Sites PstI, Kpnl, and BamHI (Bold))

(SEQ ID NO: 42) CTGCAGTCACCGTCGTCGACAGAGCTGAGATCCTACAGGAGTCCAGGGCTGGAGAGAAAACCTCTGCGAGGAAAAGGAAGGAGCAAGCCGTGAATTTAAGGGACGCTGTGAAGCAATCATGGATGCAATGAAGAGAGGGCTCTGCTGTGTGCTGCTGCTGTGTGGAGCAGTCTTCGTTTCGCCCAGCGGTACCGGATCC.

Translated protein of hPTA: MDAMKRGLCCVLLLCGAVFVSPS (SEQ ID NO: 43).

Example 16 Human MIP-3alpha DNA

(SEQ ID NO: 44) GCAGCAAGCAACTTTGACTGCTGTCTTGGATACACAGACCGTATTCTTCATCCTAAATTTATTGTGGGCTTCACACGGCAGCTGGCCAATGAAGGCTGTGACATCAATGCTATCATCTTTCACACAAAGAAAAAGTTGTCTGTGTGCGCAAATCCAAAACAGACTTGGGTGAAATATATTGTGCGTCTCCTCAGTAAAAA AGTCAAGAACATG.

Translated protein of MIP-3alpha:

(SEQ ID NO: 45) AASNFDCCLGYTDRILHPKFIVGFTRQLANEGCDINAIIFHTKKKLSVCANPKQTWVKYIVRLLSKKVKNM.

Example 17 Spacer Between hMIP-3a and pfCSP with BamHI Restriction Site(Underlined)

(SEQ ID NO: 46) GAATTCAACGACGCTCAGGCGCCGAAGAGTGGATCC.

Translated protein of spacer:

(SEQ ID NO: 1) EFNDAQAPKSGS

Example 18 Codon Optimized PfCSP (33 aa (22 NANP Repeats (SEQ ID NO:47)))

(SEQ ID NO: 48) ATGATGCGCAAGCTGGCCATCCTGTCCGTGTCCTCCTTCCTGTTCGTGGAGGCCCTGTTCCAGGAGTACCAGTGCTACGGCTCCTCCTCCAACACCCGCGTGCTGAACGAGCTGAACTACGACAACGCCGGCACCAACCTGTACAACGAGCTGGAGATGAACTACTACGGCAAGCAGGAGAACTGGTACTCCCTGAAGAAGAACTCCCGCTCCCTGGGCGAGAACGACGACGGCAACAACGAGGACAACGAGAAGCTGCGCAAGCCCAAGCACAAGAAGCTGAAGCAGCCCGCCGACGGCAACCCCGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGTGGACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACGCCAACCCCAACAAGAACAACCAGGGCAACGGCCAGGGCCACAACATGCCCAACGACCCCAACCGCAACGTGGACGAGAACGCCAACGCCAACTCCGCCGTGAAGAACAACAACAACGAGGAGCCCTCCGACAAGCACATCAAGGAGTACCTGAACAAGATCCAGAACTCCCTGTCCACCGAGTGGTCCCCCTGCTCCGTGACCTGCGGCAACGGCATCCAGGTGCGCATCAAGCCCGGCTCCGCCAACAAGCCCAAGGACGAGCTGGACTACGCCAACGACATCGAGAAGAAAATCTGCAAGATGGAGAAGTGCTCCTCCGTGTTCAACGTGGTGAACTCCTCCATCGGCCTGATCATGGTGCTGTCCTTCCTGTTCCTGAAC.

Translated protein of codon-optimized PfCSP

(SEQ ID NO: 49) MMRKLAILSVSSFLFVEALFQEYQCYGSSSNTRVLNELNYDNAGTNLYNELEMNYYGKQENWYSLKKNSRSLGENDDGNNEDNEKLRKPKHKKLKQPADGNPDPNANPNVDPNANPNVDPNANPNVDPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNANPNVDPNANPNANPNKNNQGNGQGHNMPNDPNRNVDENANANSAVKNNNNEEPSDKHIKEYLNKIQNSLSTEWSPCSVTCGNGIQVRIKPGSANKPKDELDYANDIEKKICKMEKCSSVFNVVNSSIGLIMVLSFLFLN.

Example 19 c-Myc Tag with Spacer (in Single Underline), Stop Codon (inBox), and Restriction Enzyme Sites XbaI BglII (Double Underline)

(SEQ ID NO: 50) AGATCCGCAGAAGAACAGAAACTGATCTCAGAAGAGGATCTGTGATCTAGAAGATCT Translated protein of c-myc tag: (SEQ ID NO: 51) RSAEEQKLISEEDL

Example 20

FIG. 20 illustrates a sequence of a synthesized Plasmodium falciparumvaccine construct. FIG. 21 illustrates hTPA-hMIP3a-pfCSP-myc DNAsequence.

Example 21

A human subject will be administered a pharmaceutical compositioncomprising a plasmid comprising a nucleic acid sequence from FIG. 21(hTPA-hMIP3a-pfCSP-myc). The pharmaceutical composition will alsocomprise a liposome that comprises a commixture of(±)-N-(3-aminopropyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2,3-bis(cis-9-tetradecenyloxy)-1-prop anaminium bromide (GAP-DMORIE) and1,2-diphytanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DPyPE). The humansubject will be administered the pharmaceutical composition byintraperitoneal injection, subcutaneous injection, or intramuscularinjection two times over a 6 month period. The human subject willdevelop an immune response to the circumsporozoite protein that willhelp protect the subject from developing malaria.

Example 22

An human subject will be administered a pharmaceutical compositioncomprising a plasmid comprising nucleic acid sequence that encodes abreast cancer antigen fused to MIP-3α, and an adjuvant that comprises acommixture of(±)-N-(3-aminopropyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2,3-bis(cis-9-tetradecenyloxy)-1-propanaminiumbromide (GAP-DMORIE) and1,2-diphytanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DPyPE). The humansubject will be administered the pharmaceutical composition byintraperitoneal injection, subcutaneous injection, or intramuscularinjection two times over a 6 month period. The subject will develop animmune response to the breast cancer antigen that will help protect thesubject from developing breast cancer.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown anddescribed herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatsuch embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerousvariations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilledin the art without departing from the invention. It should be understoodthat various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention describedherein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is intended thatthe following claims define the scope of the invention and that methodsand structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents becovered thereby.

1.-98. (canceled)
 99. A method, comprising: administering to a subjecthaving a cancer a nucleic acid encoding a fusion protein, wherein thefusion protein comprises a cancer antigen fused to human macrophageinflammatory protein-3 alpha (MIP-3α); administering to the subject aCpG oligodeoxynucleotide; and administering to the subject interferonalpha (IFN-α) or a nucleic acid encoding IFN-α.
 100. The method of claim99, wherein the cancer antigen is a melanoma antigen.
 101. The method ofclaim 100, wherein the melanoma antigen is gp100.
 102. The method ofclaim 99, wherein the nucleic acid is a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).103. The method of claim 102, wherein the DNA is a plasmid DNA.
 104. Themethod of claim 99, wherein the subject is a human subject.
 105. Amethod, comprising: administering to a subject having a cancer a nucleicacid encoding a fusion protein, wherein the fusion protein comprises acancer antigen fused to human macrophage inflammatory protein-3 alpha(MIP-3α); administering to the subject a CpG oligodeoxynucleotide; andadministering to the subject a cytokine or a nucleic acid encoding acytokine.
 106. The method of claim 105, wherein the cancer antigen is amelanoma antigen.
 107. The method of claim 106, wherein the melanomaantigen is gp100.
 108. The method of claim 105, wherein the nucleic acidis a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
 109. The method of claim 108, whereinthe DNA is a plasmid DNA.
 110. The method of claim 105, wherein thecytokine is an interferon.
 111. The method of claim 105, wherein thesubject is a human subject.
 112. A method, comprising: administering toa human subject having a cancer a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) encoding afusion protein, wherein the fusion protein comprises gp100 fused tohuman macrophage inflammatory protein-3 alpha (MIP-3α); administering tothe subject a CpG oligodeoxynucleotide; and administering to the subjectinterferon alpha (IFN-α) or a nucleic acid encoding IFN-α.